The Realms of Yggdrasil
by Keyblade Ninja 21
Summary: Curiosity killed the cat... When Jane invites Nora to Asgard with her, Nora jumps at the chance. Getting to meet Thor, who helped save Earth from aliens, and visiting the new realm seems like the vacation of a lifetime. Discovering Asgard gets a bit difficult, however, when she keeps getting lost, dealing with a certain mischievous prince, and invisible creatures attacking.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello lovely readers! This story you're (hopefully) about to read came to me after I had finished another awesome fanfic "Stone of Command" by Mimbillia. It's seriously awesome! If you haven't read it, you should! You don't necessarily have to read it before this story, but you may be confused by some things. If you don't want to read the previously stated fanfic, and you have questions, feel free to PM me. I'll be happy to clear anything up. Anyway, without further ado...**

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"Jane!" a loud voice boomed thunderously.

Nora jumped at the sudden sound, but almost immediately calmed. That voice had to be Thor. Nora had waited a long time to finally meet the man Jane had told her so much about. Suddenly, Jane was being swept up into an enormous hug by a huge blond man. Nora laughed at Jane's surprised and happy face.

Looking away from the two's intimate moment, Nora looked around the large structure around her. Everything seemed so grand and bright. She could see the long rainbow bridge called the Bifrost. It seemed to flow with energy. It kind of reminded her of the Mario Kart level, only a whole lot better.

"….You can proceed ahead of us…I will show…" Thor's voice continued, floating to Nora through her distracted thoughts. He must have been telling his friends, The Lady Sif and the Warriors Three Nora had thought they called themselves, to go on ahead of them. It was them who had traveled to Earth and brought Jane and her to Asgard.

Nora tuned him out again subconsciously as she looked around in awe. After gazing at all the details around her and what she could see of Asgard through the lookout, she noticed the man standing near the center of the room. He had his hands on the large sword sticking out from the floor. Nora cocked her head to the side as she studied the man with curious eyes. He looked back at her patiently, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She felt like he was looking _through_ her, and simultaneously _not at her_ at the same time. It made her curiosity run rampant inside her mind. After all, it wasn't everyday that she got to see a whole new realm!

"Nora!" Jane's voice yelled uncomfortably close to her ear.

Heart pounding quickly, she jumped slightly once again, turning to face Jane. "What?" Nora squeaked, placing her hand on her chest.

Jane heaved a sigh and shook her head. "I was trying to introduce you to Thor, but you zoned out again."

"Sorry," Nora laughed, embarrassed, "I was just mesmerized by the environment I guess." She had a bad habit of forgetting what was going on around her if she got distracted. Which was often. She was just too curious for her own good. She may not be a super smart scientist like Jane (and even Darcy knew more than she did), but she was still afflicted with curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat, she often heard others tell her, often in a scolding fashion. But she always dismissed the saying; cats had nine lives, and she figured she had at least four feline lives left by now.

"Thor, this is Nora, Darcy's cousin," Jane continued. "Nora, this is Thor."

"Is the Lady Darcy not coming?" Thor asked, seemingly slightly disappointed.

Jane shook her head. "No. She tried to eat some suspicious looking food from a gas station. I told her not to, but she insisted that she'd starve if she didn't eat something. Long story short, she has food poisoning now."

Thor seemed torn between wanting to smile at Darcy's antics and frowning in sympathy for his friend's illness. "So this is the Lady Nora," Thor smiled at her kindly. "It is very pleasant to finally meet your acquaintance. Darcy has told me of you before."

Nora smiled. "It's just Nora. You don't have to add the Lady in there." Everything that Jane had told her about Thor seemed to be true. He seemed like a very easy person to get along with.

"Nora," Thor tested, nodding at her. "Welcome to Asgard my friends." He took Jane's hand and started to lead them towards the huge, towering golden city. Nora was once again transfixed by the colorful bridge, and on impulse, she turned and waved at the gatekeeper. He merely nodded his head, and turned his back to them. As they walked, Nora looked up into the sky. She observed the colorful sky and what appeared to be the end of the realm that dropped off into nothingness. The sky was darkening into brilliant colors of purple and blue, and Nora studied all the new constellations in the sky. Everything was so new and so unknown to her, and she loved it.

After a long trek over the bridge, the three entered the outskirts of the city. The Asgardians went about their day, often turning to bow or praise Thor as they passed. They looked at Jane and Nora curiously as they made their way to the palace. Nora flicked her gaze from the surrounding architecture, to the people, to the games some children played while running around, to the clothes. Hopefully, her neck wouldn't hurt too badly from trying to look at so many things quickly. She could faintly hear Thor and Jane speaking, but she was too distracted to pay attention if they were addressing her or not. Faintly, she hoped they weren't trying to talk to her.

Nora noticed the slight changing of the buildings as they neared the palace in the center of the realm. Some buildings became larger and more intricately detailed with designs and strange symbols. She figured that they were the Asgardian language. Even as Nora noticed the changes in buildings, she still wasn't fully prepared for the grandness of the palace itself. Everything seemed so huge! Large pillars and statues held up large ceilinged rooms and walkways. The palace seemed to almost glow in the setting sun's light. Nora was blinded several times as the light reflected off the magnificent gold colors of the palace, and she had accidently run into a couple walking through the halls. Jane had then decided to keep Nora close and pull her along so she wouldn't run into anyone else. Thinking about it made her cheeks redden with embarrassment.

Once inside the palace walls, Nora stopped to take it all in. Even Jane seemed awestruck at the sight. If she thought the outside of the palace was magnificent, the inside of the palace was even more so.

"This way, my guests," Thor chuckled at their shocked faces. "The kitchens have prepared a most delicious feast for your arrival."

"Yes!" Nora smiled to herself. Not only would she be able to see more of the castle, she'd get to see and try the Asgardian food. She wondered what kind of delicacies they had on Asgard. Surely, there'd be some strange and interesting dishes for her to try. She'd try anything and everything. She had even tried Darcy's nasty gas station food.

Thor lead the way through the palace halls and large corridors. Looking around, Nora started to worry slightly. There were many hallways and paths to take, and they all looked similar to the other. Surely she'd get lost. Along with her curiosity, Nora tended to get turned around easily. Usually, her curiosity got her lost, but she would try to stay with someone at all times.

They passed a few people in the halls as they headed towards the feast. After a few minutes of walking, Thor stopped in front of a large double door entryway that was open, giving them a view of the inner room. Numerous smells surrounded Nora as she took in all the tables and people inside. Everyone seemed merry and happy enough as they ate and drank. Boisterous clapping started as Thor made a path for them through the people. He smiled broadly at everyone, and sat near his friends that had brought Nora and Jane to Asgard. Fandral was chatting away with multiple women surrounding him, while Volstagg told wondrous stories of past victories and battles. Sif sat there laughing and correcting Volstagg as he seemingly embellished some of the stories. Hogun just sat there, definitely the quiet one of the group.

Nora looked around at everyone having a good time and eating happily. Then she turned to Thor who sat next to her. "So Prince Thor, what do you recommend I try first?" she asked, looking around at the food placed around her with interest. Some food she could easily recognize, like the colorful vegetables spread about, and the various meats. There were some other platters of food that looked unlike anything she had ever seen.

"You may address me as Thor, Nora," Thor smiled, repeating her words from earlier. "And everything is quite delectable, I would not even know where to begin," he continued, beginning to reach for some food for himself and Jane. "You should try everything!"

"Alright! Consider it done," Nora laughed as she grabbed small portions of everything around her.

"Thor, you don't have to make me a plate," Jane told him, taking her plate away from him as he piled food on top of it.

"But you are my guest, Jane. Also, I have seen what you prefer to eat from my time in Midgard, so I know what you will most likely agree with. But you are welcome to try anything you want," Thor told her, smiling down at her.

Nora saw the small blush creep onto Jane's cheeks, and she smiled. Nora envied Jane a little. To have a guy (well, demi-god in Thor's case) care about her so much. She was lucky, even if they didn't see each other very often. But seeing Jane that happy, made Nora want someone to look at her like Thor was looking at Jane. Distracted and spacey she may be, Nora saw a lot more than people gave her credit for. Laughing and eating anything in sight, Nora enjoyed the feast with the rest of the Asgardians and Jane.

Long after darkness fell and the feast started to die down, did Thor decide to show them to their rooms while they stayed in Asgard.

 _Let's see…_ Nora thought to herself. _Left, straight, down a couple hallways, right, left… Or was it two rights after the last hallway?_ Dread filled Nora as she realized she would most definitely get lost inside the palace halls.

"Here you are, Nora. These are your chambers while you stay here," Thor announced stopping in front of a large wooden door with intricate designs carved into it. He opened it for her, pushing the door open like it wasn't almost ten feet tall and probably weighed a lot.

"Thank you, Thor. This will be-" Nora stopped mid-sentence while her jaw dropped. She expected the room to be normal sized, or at least fairly decent sized due to the size of the palace. What the wasn't expecting, was a room that was almost the size of a small house. Immediately inside the room was an open sitting area with a large fireplace in the far wall. A huge bed sat to the left of the room, and to the right of the bed was another doorway. There was also another door on the right side of the room. A small glass door led to a balcony. "Th-this is my room?!" Maybe he had forgotten to tell her that her and Jane would be sharing a room.

"Yes, Nora. This room is yours and yours alone." Thor seemed hesitant for a minute. "Is it to your liking? I can procure you a new one if you wish."

"No, no, the room is fantastic! I didn't expect it to be so big!" she told him, making placating gestures. _I could throw a parade in here,_ she thought.

Thor's hesitance melted away instantly, replaced with a relieved grin. "Good. I will escort Jane to her room and retire for the night. I shall see you tomorrow. I wish you a well rested night." Nora smiled at them, waving goodnight as they started walking down the hallway and out of sight.

* * *

It had taken Nora a while to settle down after she shut the doors to her room. First things first, she explored the room from top to bottom. She found the bed and furniture to be made of soft, almost fuzzy fabrics. The sheets felt smooth like silk, but she didn't find it surprising. The one door near the bed lead to a large closet like space that she definitely didn't need. All she had was her backpack filled with her belongings. The other room to the right of the room held a large bathtub like structure, but it was the size of a small pool! Several places along the walls held holders for torches and candles alike. A few of the candles were burned almost down to the holders from her exploring through the night. Finally, after the moons were high in the sky, did she finally lay down to sleep. As soon as she laid on the mattress, she immediately sunk into it comfortably, and let her fatigue wash over her.

Streaming rays of sun filtered into her room, effectively waking her up as the sun rose. Nora yawned and sat up, stretching her muscles. _A girl could definitely get used to this._ She felt like royalty, and she was just a guest. She couldn't imagine what Thor and his family felt like.

Thinking of the royal family gave Nora a twinge of excitement and anxiety. Jane and her were supposed to be meeting Thor's family a bit later in the morning. Thor had assured them that his family was nice, but his father tended to be rather intense at times, and Loki liked to cause problems and mischief. It seemed his mother was the only normal one of the family.

Nora wasn't exactly the most…refined person to be around, which was the source of her anxiety. Her mouth tended to get away from her, speaking whatever random thoughts popped into her head. Just another part of the "Nora Charm" as Darcy called it. Nora snorted at the term "charm". That _charm_ had gotten her into plenty of problems before.

Getting out of bed, Nora dug through her backpack for a pair of clothes, putting on the nicer pieces for the meeting. She longed to get herself one of those pretty and elegant Asgardian dresses that she had seen the previous day. Maybe she would ask Thor about it when she saw him later.

As she pulled on one of her flats, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Nora called, pulling the shoe into place. Jane's head appeared from the doorway as she peaked in.

"You ready to go? We have to meet- Thor's parents in a little bit," Jane told her, hesitating slightly. It seemed Nora wasn't the only one that was nervous.

"I'm ready," she smiled, trying to put her friend's uneasiness. Jane was probably more nervous because her and Thor were a thing. Or at least she thought they were a thing by now. She really needed to ask Jane what was going on with that.

As they left the room, Nora noticed that Thor wasn't waiting outside for them. She assumed that Jane knew where to go, and she tried to take this time to calm Jane's nerves.

"So Jane, did you and Thor share a room last night?" Nora asked scandalously, wagging her eyebrows dramatically at her friend. "Couldn't help but notice that you two left together." Nora already knew that Jane got kind of embarrassed when it came to talking about her romantic relationships with others. So when Jane started getting flustered, denying anything, Nora couldn't help but laugh at her.

"No, we didn't-Nora! You did that on purpose didn't you?" Jane narrowed her eyes at her. Nora could see little sparks of frustration flash in her eyes. Jane then started walking off quickly, leaving Nora behind so she had to jog to keep up.

"Look Jane, I was just trying to distract you. Besides, we both know who the classier one is here. I'll probably say something stupid during the meeting and make a fool of myself. You have nothing to worry about. Thor will be there too, he'll have your back," Nora told Jane soothingly.

Jane exhaled a sharp breath and slowed her pace. "I suppose. Thanks Nora, everything will be fine," she muttered, seemingly trying to convince herself more than Nora. Nora just gave her an encouraging smile as they walked. She knew Jane would be fine. She was Jane Foster! Thor would have Jane's back like she had told her.

 _Now who was going to have her back?_ Nora wondered, only slightly anxious. She just hoped she could manage to keep any unnecessary comments from falling out of her mouth without thinking. _Yeah, fat chance of that happening._

Lost inside her thoughts, Nora followed Jane in her peripheral vision as she tried to gain supreme control of herself. Even as she tried to steel herself, she prayed to any and all gods she could think of that she wouldn't make a fool of herself.

A sudden hand on her shoulder jolted her from her thoughts. She jerked her head up to see Thor peering down at her, a slight smirk on his face. He had his typical Asgardian armor on, his long red cape trailing behind him. She really wanted a cape! Maybe she could get one while she was in Asgard.

"Nora."

Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Thor in normal clothes. Darcy's pictures from his first trip to Earth were destroyed when she threw her phone at a guy. The phone had ended up in a fountain. All she had seen were pictures from the news when the attack on New York happened. Even in those he was in his Asgardian armor.

"Nora."

Did his parents and brother wear capes? She immediately started to picture Thor's family all wearing matching capes. Although, from what she had heard, Loki seemed like a difficult person to get along with, considering his endless mischief and problem causing ways, much to his namesake. _Like really, who gets it in their head to take over the Earth, starting in New York?_ Personally, she didn't quite see the appeal-

"NORA!"

"What?!" Nora gasped, focusing on Jane and Thor. Thor looked at her confused, while Jane just looked exasperated. She somehow felt like a child getting scolded by her parents. "Sorry," she muttered automatically. Dang! And after she had tried to be better at focusing and preparing for the meeting. She prayed she at least made it most of the way through the meeting before something happened. Surely, she could make it that long.

"It is time to meet with the Allfather and Allmother," Thor told Nora, still looking at her strangely. "Are you ill? Would you like to return-"

"No, no! I'm completely fine. Just lost in my thoughts again!" Nora pointed to the large door in front of them. "Are they in here?"

"Yes," Thor replied, uncertain how to handle her spacing out. She had long since grown accustomed to the confused looks.

Embarrassed and trying to get all the attention off of her, Nora pushed the door open and walked inside. She was still looking back at Jane and Thor as she walked, so she had no way of seeing the huge person she had run directly into. After being knocked back a few steps suddenly, she finally looked forward and up at the person. Surprise banked her face as she looked up at the huge man that towered above her.

" _Holy crap you have an eye patch!"_

That was the first thought to run through her head as she looked at the man she assumed was Thor's father. Those were the first words that came to her mind, and sadly, those were the first words out of her mouth.

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 **Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please let me know what you think! Stay awesome fellow Marvel lovers! -K**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! I hope anyone reading enjoyed the first chapter! This is my first Avengers fic so I'm still trying to work with the characters and keep them in character. I'm not entirely sure I do them justice, but I shall try my best. Enjoy!**

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There was an awkwardly long and tension filled silence. No one seemed to know what to do or say. Especially the two standing before her, who she quickly realized must be Thor's mother and father. AKA the king and queen of Asgard.

 _Way to go Nora!_ She chided herself mentally. _You were worried about messing up the meeting, you didn't even think about starting the meeting with an unfortunate slip of the tongue._ "Uhh…" Nora stuttered, trying to break the silence. _Think Nora think! How can you bounce back from that?_

 _You can't you idiot!_ A part of her mind screamed at her.

"Nora," she heard Jane groan quietly behind her.

Everything seemed to slow to a halt. Every breath, every heartbeat felt like minutes. Odin stood there, staring down into Nora's eyes. Thor was right; he was really intense. Nora couldn't seem to find any words as her brain worked on overdrive to figure out where to go from there. Even her jumbled thoughts couldn't provide her with anything coherent, or even something random, to say. Her brain had momentarily shorted out.

Odin's continued stare made Nora start to fidget uncomfortably. There seemed to be a sense of…power that almost radiated from him. Not just an air of authority that he held since he was king, but something else seemed to ripple through the air. He was definitely older than anything she could comprehend.

"Did I miss something? Why are we all congregating inside the doorway?" a voice asked, looking inside the open doors.

Thor was the first to break the silence. "Brother! You've arrived!"

There was a slight confused pause. "So it would seem. What is going on?" the voice asked again. That voice had to be Loki. Thank God, and end to the silence!

"Oh nothing," Thor assured, slightly antsy now. Then he pushed Jane into the room gently until she stood near Nora. "Mother, Father, this is Jane and her friend Nora. This is the Allfather and Allmother." Thor's jovial tone seemed a bit forced. "Jane, you know of my brother Loki. Loki, this is Jane and Nora."

Jane sent Loki a quick glare, but turned and gave the king and queen a bright smile. It seemed after Nora's slip of the tongue, she wasn't so nervous anymore. Although, Nora wondered if Odin would just tell them to leave after her rudeness. "It's very nice to meet you both, Thor has told me so much about you."

Thor's mother was the first to move, giving Jane a quick hug. "Is it time we finally met. Thor has spared us no detail about you," Frigga smiled back. "He's usually so sullen if he doesn't get to see you on a trip to Midgard."

"Mother!" Thor exclaimed.

Nora didn't hear any denials though, which made her smirk slightly.

"And Nora," Frigga smiled politely in her queenly way.

"Your majesty," Nora smiled, hoping that was an appropriate way to address her. She could still feel Odin's gaze on her, but she didn't dare look back at him. She really didn't need to say something stupid again. Looking at the queen, she could see the same slightly confused look that Thor held not too long ago. Like she didn't know how to proceed with her. "You don't have to hug me if you don't want to, it's okay," Nora continued, nervously. "I know I must seem strange and a bit rude after my earlier comment but-"

Thankfully, Frigga wrapped her into a tight hug to prevent her from rambling even more. Nora squeezed the woman back slightly, grateful. After stepping away, Nora sent her a thankful glance before turning to Odin and giving him a tentative smile. Her mind raced quickly. Should she bow? Curtsy? Hand shake?

Odin saved her from making a further fool of herself by turning his attention to Thor and Jane. "We are glad to have you visit our realm. It is good to help strengthen the bond between Midgard and ourselves." An omitted "after Loki tried to take over your planet" hung in the air after Odin stopped talking. Nora thought she heard a quiet scoff from behind her that had to have been Loki. "I must go attend council meetings, I will see our guests again at dinner," Odin announced.

Frigga smiled at him, lovingly. "Alright, dear. Good luck."

Nora exhaled slowly, relieved that Odin had decided to leave. He just made her nervous and she really didn't want to insult him again.

"So, Jane and Nora, where would you like to visit first?" Frigga asked.

* * *

Nora didn't know what she thought was cooler. The local stores, the incredible waterfalls and fountains spread throughout the city, or when they stopped to acquire new Asgardian clothes. Well, okay. The new clothes definitely ranked at the top. She was now in a long, flowy, cerulean blue dress that had golden beading laced over one shoulder. Every time the layers would billow against her legs with the breeze, she wanted to squeal with excitement.

Frigga escorted them from place to place with Thor, a few palace guards, and even Loki following them through Asgard. Thor and Frigga were happy to show them around and expose them to some of the customs and culture of the Asgardians. Granted, Thor tended to stick around Jane more, but Frigga made sure to spend her time equally with Jane and Nora, and even both her sons. And speaking of her sons, Loki dragged behind, bored and complaining every once in a while. After he figured out complaining wasn't getting him anywhere, he summoned a book to read as they walked. Nora was surprised he didn't collide with someone as he walked, still looking down at his book, but he maneuvered around the people with ease.

"Those dresses look beautiful on you," Frigga complimented as they walked. The sun had just started to set, so they had decided to return to the palace. Nora was slightly disappointed that she wouldn't get to see more of Asgard that day, but she couldn't be too upset. After all, she did have newly acquired dresses to wear while she was here.

Somehow by the grace of the gods, Nora had managed not to make too much of a spectacle of herself. Sure, there was the incident where she almost broke a whole shelf of glass because she was looking at a small trinket she thought Darcy would like. Someone had walked behind her, bumping into her back, sending her forward accidently. Frigga had saved the day with some quick magic, saving Nora from embarrassment and servitude to pay them off. The trinkets hadn't looked cheap.

Then there was the mishap at one of the elaborate fountains. She had stopped to admire all the carvings and designs in the structure. Thor was busy talking to Jane as he walked and ran right into Nora as she was stopped directly in front of them. Him running into her sent her head first into the fountain. Using his battle honed reflexes he had caught her, but she had still managed to fall halfway into the fountain before he did so. That incident led them to acquiring the new Asgardian dresses. If Nora didn't know how much sturdier Asgardians were than humans, she knew now. Thor running into her had almost hurt. Loki mumbled something about Thor being a "clumsy oaf" if she heard correctly, but it seemed to be a good natured jab.

When they had arrived back at the palace once again, Loki seemed to have disappeared all together, while Frigga had told them she had a few things to take care of before leaving them. Once she left, Thor had shown Nora back to her room.

"We will be back to escort you to the feast, Nora. There is still a few hours beforehand, so spend the time as you wish. Jane has told me that you like books; I could have one of the servants show you the way to the library," Thor suggested. Nora noticed that he was once again holding Jane's hand.

 _Maybe they wanted some alone time,_ she thought. She knew Thor wouldn't outright say it, lest he make her feel left out or pushed to the side, forgotten. But if she'd get to see more of the castle, then she'd give them all the time in the world. "That sounds great, Thor. Thank you," Nora smiled.

Thor called over a servant that was walking down the hall, and said goodbye to Nora as he led Jane away. Thor let her know they'd grab her from the library when dinner was finished. The woman looked about Nora's age, around early twenties, but looks were deceiving for the Asgardians. Living far longer than a human, they aged slower. She had a light pink dress that reached the floor, the top reaching up to her collar bones, and it had no sleeves. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant bun, with small tendrils flowing down in soft waves. "Hello, Miss," she bowed, placing her right arm over her chest. "My name is Vie."

 _Was that how Asgardians bowed?_ Nora wondered.

"…library," Vie continued.

 _Crap!_ Nora was trying to think about how they bowed and forgot to listen to Vie, but she had caught the word library, and that was good enough for her. Nora smiled and nodded, hoping that it was an appropriate gesture to what the girl had said.

Vie nodded and turned. "The library is this way," she pointed, starting to walk.

 _Phew, that could've been awkward._

Vie said nothing as they walked quietly down the hallways and high ceilinged walk ways. Nora couldn't help but look out past the palace, to the areas beyond. She could see the shimmering of the ocean from the horizon, and patches of trees and woodlands dotting the landscape. "It isn't much further Miss," Vie told her, still looking ahead.

"You don't have to call me Miss. Nora works just fine for me. Besides, it's not like I'm royalty or anything," Nora told the girl, walking beside her.

"But you are Prince Thor's special guest," Vie noted, seemingly caught off guard that Nora would suggest such a thing.

"It's really not a huge deal, Vie. If it makes you feel more comfortable to call me Miss, then go ahead, but where I'm from, people are much more casual when they address people," Nora tried to explain. Then again, she didn't know Asgardian royal customs. Maybe the girl would get into trouble if she didn't call Nora by some title.

"Alright… Miss Nora," Vie said quietly, as if she were testing the water. It wasn't quite the first name basis Nora had told her of, but it would have to do. "You hail from Midgard, yes?" she asked suddenly. The question seemed to escape the girl before she could help herself, because after she spoke she covered her mouth. "Forgive me, I spoke out of turn Miss Nora. I was merely curious-"

Nora put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder to calm her, while trying to unsuccessfully keep the grin from pulling at her mouth. It seemed Nora wasn't the only one who spoke her thoughts without thinking. "Vie, you're fine. Yes, I came from Earth. Well, you guys call it Midgard…" Nora noticed the curiosity in the girl's eyes. They were practically brimming with questions. Unspoken questions, but they were there nonetheless. "Would you like me to tell you about it?" Nora asked.

"You would do that? That would be most wonderful, Miss Nora!" Vie exclaimed happily.

Nora laughed. Perhaps she had made herself a new Asgardian friend. "Of course! I've been shown parts of your world, it's only fair I share information about my own. How about tomorrow? You can show me around if you aren't busy. I think Thor and Jane wanted some alone time for the day anyway, so I don't think we had any plans."

"I will ask the Allmother," Vie beamed, yet somehow kept her composure. "Here is the library, Miss Nora. I'll be off now." Vie bowed again quickly, before turning and walking down a different corridor.

After pushing the large doors open, Nora walked into the huge room. Immediately, her breath was being taken away. The library was truly magnificent. Directly inside the doors, was a large open area with neat designs in the stone floor. On all sides of the open area, were large tables and chairs scattered about. Anywhere she looked, she could see humongous shelves lined with books of varying sizes and colors. There was two large stairways leading up to a second floor of the library. She spotted several window seats overlooking the scenery outside. Colored lights shone down from the large glass circle in the ceiling. It reminded her of stain glass, but it was slightly different.

Running over to the nearest shelf, Nora ran her fingers over all of the books. She couldn't read any of the spines, but she could still appreciate them. She couldn't help but feel a little like Belle from Beauty in the Beast, when the Beast had shown her the library. Only she didn't have a hairy, transformed beast of a prince to deal with.

Taking a few books from the shelf, she held it against herself and flipped through the pages. She noticed a few pictures to look at, and she set the book on a nearby table. Going back to the shelves, Nora returned to the table with an arm full of books of various sizes. She really wished she could read the Asgardian language.

"What are you doing in here?"

At the unexpected voice, Nora dropped her arm full of books onto the table, creating a loud bang. Whirling quickly, she saw Loki standing there, eyebrow raised in question. His mouth was turned down slightly. He wore dark pants, and a loose fitting green shirt underneath his usual coat, his hair slicked back.

"Oh, uh, hello Prince Loki," Nora greeted politely. "I was just looking at some of these books."

Confusion and doubt clouded his eyes. "But you can't read Asgardian," he told her like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, but there are still pictures," Nora explained, flipping open a book and showing him.

"I'm aware there are pictures," he responded sharply.

Nora was slightly taken aback at his attitude towards her. "I didn't mean to insinuate that you didn't, only my intentions here. I was merely killing time before dinner." _Jeez,_ she thought. No wonder people thought him hard to get along with.

He was silent for a moment, regarding her carefully. She turned back to the books, trying not to pay him any attention, but she could still feel his gaze on her. "It is customary to bow before the royal family when in their presence, Midgardian," Loki commented offhandedly, his arms behind his back, standing tall.

She finally looked over at him, hands pausing the turning of a page. Eyeing him curiously, she wondered where the change in attitude came from. Then she saw a small flicker of mischief in his eyes, despite his otherwise aloof façade. He meant to trick her, to try and get her to embarrass herself. _Like she needed extra help with that._

 _Alright, fine,_ she smiled inwardly. She'd play his game, the liar. _Challenge accepted._ Thor had told her tales of Loki's mischief. She had an idea about how to play this. Shutting the book she was looking at, she faced Loki head on. Then she bent at the waist slightly, purposefully bowing poorly. "Was that to your liking, Prince Loki?" she asked innocently once she stood straight again.

"That was absolutely horrendous to behold," Loki commented, false annoyance written across his face.

"Then how about a curtsy, _Your Highness_?" Nora asked, falling into a low curtsey easily. She made sure to portray some irritation in her movements. Watching as his nostrils flared in annoyance at her mocking tone, Nora wanted to laugh.

"You mortals are so inferior," he said, bored. "You can't even show the proper respect to your superiors."

Nora laughed mockingly. "Funny, I thought it was us mortals who defeated you in New York." Well… she hadn't exactly meant to say that, but her mouth had a mind of her own once again. She really hoped that she hadn't crossed some sort of line. Seeing the veiled anger in his eyes, she wondered if she did.

Loki then snorted derisively, "As if lowly humans could have defeated me alone. They were mostly genetically altered or had weaponized suits at their disposal. Barely human in their own right as they fought me."

"Even so," Nora shrugged. "If you want the proper respect and formal bow, then why don't you show me, Prince Loki. As a lowly human, I have no idea how, and since you know so much…"

His arm shifted slightly before he caught himself. Nora smiled in her almost triumph. She had nearly gotten him to actually show her. Thor was right; Loki did like to be the one in charge, the one with all the knowledge, the one who liked to be right all the time. He almost couldn't stop himself from correcting her. Finally, like a switch, the anger and annoyance fled from his face, replaced by the earlier mischief. "I see what you're up to, human. Well played. Pray tell how you knew I was lying," he smirked.

Nora chuckled, relieved. He knew that she had been calling him out on his lie about bowing to him. "Thor already explained I wouldn't have to bow to you or him since I was a guest on his behalf. Although, he did tell me that I probably should have at least bowed a little to your parents." Even remembering caused Nora to fill with embarrassment. A crappy bow would have been infinitely better than her comment on his eye patch.

Loki burst into genuine laughter for a few moments, filling the library with it. Nora didn't think he did that too often by the way he stopped himself soon after. "Yes, Thor told me of your meeting with the Allfather. I only wish I could have been there to witness it."

"It wasn't funny," Nora sulked. "It was mortifying." She sat down in the nearest chair to flip through her books she gathered. Loki went about looking through the shelves nearby. She eyed the illustrations of proud warriors and odd creatures. Some creatures were large and abnormal to anything she had ever seen, and others looked very similar to those on Earth. Pictures of battles were drawn elegantly on the pages. On a particular page she stopped on, she looked at the large warriors with creative looking markings on their skin. "Hey, Prince Loki," she called over to him. "Who are these people?" She held up the book for him to see as he turned.

Instantly, she watched as his demeanor changed again. He became tense and his hands clenched into fists. The look that crossed his face scared her slightly.

"Loki?" she asked tentatively, forgetting the respectful title. Loki stood there silently for a moment before he turned and stalked further into the library, leaving her alone.

 _What the heck did she do?_

* * *

 **So what did you think? Awesome? Horrible? Did it make you smile? Please let me know what you think! Thanks again. -K**


	3. Chapter 3

Nora didn't see Loki again until he breezed past her table to the large library doors. She could faintly smell food as the door opened. "Wait!" Nora called after him, running to catch up to his long strides. Once she neared Loki, she reached out her hand to try and grab his arm. "Hey, wait up!" she huffed again. Jeez, he walked fast! It didn't help that he was so much taller than she was. Were all Asgardians tall by default?

Nora's hand grasped his shirt as he started to vanish from sight. Suddenly, the world blacked out and blurred back into focus within seconds. Intense dizziness invaded her mind as her legs gave out, sending her to her knees. Her brain couldn't seem to focus and she felt nauseous.

"What do you think you're doing?" Loki's voice snapped from above her. She tried to focus on his boots and keep the world from spinning.

"Well, you wouldn't wait up," Nora complained, taking a deep breath. She would not vomit! She would not vomit…

"Perhaps there was a reason for that," came his reply. Even though he was clearly aggravated, he didn't move to walk away.

Nora took shaky deep breaths as the dizziness flowed away gradually. Her stomach was still a bit upset, but she felt much better after a few seconds. "Did I do something to offend you? You stormed off and then you wouldn't wait for me," she asked him, pushing herself on her knees to stand again. _Or are you bipolar?_ she wanted to continue, but managed to keep from voicing the question.

"I'm a prince, I wait for no one," Loki muttered.

Nora huffed at his automatic retort. "Yeah, and clearly you don't _talk_ to anyone either," she rolled her eyes. Then she looked around, noticing they were near the dining area. People walked passed them and into the large room, paying them little to no attention. Loki went to retort something else when a few Asgardians walked by, looking at him strangely. He remained quiet for a moment, then turned on his heel and disappeared into the dining area.

Seriously, what was his problem?

"Nora?" Jane's voice called from down the hallway.

"Hey guys," Nora waved, turning to look at Jane and Thor as they made their way to her.

"What are you doing in the hallway? Not to sound mean, but how did you find your way here? We went to the library to look for you, but no one was in there."

"Oh, uh… Well… I think I accidently teleported with Loki as he left the library," Nora tried to explain. "We ended up here."

"My brother teleported you here? Where is he?" Thor asked, looking around the hall. When he couldn't find him, he turned his attention back to Nora curiously.

"Well, Mr. Crankypants took off. I don't know what set him off, but he's in a mood," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Thor gave her a knowing smile of understanding. "My brother can be…difficult sometimes. Anyway, it's time to eat!" Thor ushered the two inside, sitting near his friends once again. Everything was similar to the night before. Fandral flirting with random women (he even tried to flirt with Nora), Sif immediately hit him in the back of the head, but he just laughed. Nora was drawn into Volstagg's stories again, he was quite the story teller. Laughing at one of their hunting stories, Nora noticed that Loki was sitting by himself near a corner. He was reading again, still looking unhappy.

 _Why doesn't he join them?_ She wondered. Surely sitting alone was boring… Then she shrugged. He was fully capable of making decisions for himself. If he wanted to sit alone, she wouldn't bother him. Then she turned to Jane. "Did you enjoy your alone time earlier?" Nora asked while the others were distracted by yet another story.

Nora noticed Jane and Thor blush slightly and she sent Jane a smirk. "Well… Thor showed me some of their magical equipment that helps find fluctuations in the inter-dimensional-"

"Okay, okay," Nora laughed, cutting her off. "You know all that super techy talk goes right over my head. How about something I don't have to get a headache thinking about?" Thor laughed along as well, agreeing with Nora. It seemed most of the tech talk went over his head as well.

"Right, sorry. Well, we looked at the machines, checked out the training ground since Thor promised to help his friends train, then he showed me around the gardens."

"You have a garden?" Nora asked automatically, then shook her head. "Of course you do, I don't know why I asked." Maybe she could see the garden tomorrow. Were there plants like Earth's, or were there some strange and exotic looking plants?

A gentle hand on Nora's shoulder paused their conversation. Nora looked over her shoulder to see Frigga standing there. The others bowed their head, addressing her appropriately. "Hello, everyone," she greeted. Then she turned to Nora. "Nora, Vie has asked me if she could help show you around while you are here. I just wanted to make sure that was alright with you."

"Oh, yes. That would be great, Your Highness," Nora responded trying to sound a bit refined. She was pretty sure she failed.

Frigga nodded and walked over to Thor, leaning in close to him. "Thor, do you know what ails your brother? He seems a bit…despondent tonight…" she asked quietly. Thor immediately turned to look for his brother who was now gone from the room.

Thor shook his head. "No, Mother. I haven't spoken with him since earlier this morning when we walked around Asgard."

Nora felt a little responsible, but she wasn't sure what set him off. Maybe he was actually upset about her calling him out on his lie about bowing to him… Although he had seemed fine after that. Before she showed him the pictures in the books.

Frigga looked towards the door, a sense of worry surrounding her. She gave all of them one last smile, before leaving. Nora assumed she was looking for Loki. She just shook her head, focusing on the conversation at the table. Sif and the Warriors Three were trying to convince Thor to join them during their training session the next day.

"Maybe with you here Jane, he'll try to show off and get too cocky and make a mistake," Fandral snickered. "Then we can finally beat him in a match." Thor just laughed and shook his head. It seemed this wasn't the first time they had challenged him. They all stayed at the table long after the food was gone and most of the people had left.

* * *

"Whoa…" Nora whispered, leaning closer to the flowers. She was walking through the gardens on the south side of the palace. Vie had woke Nora up early that morning, excited to get to know more about Earth. Vice versa, Nora was excited to learn more about Asgard.

Nora bent her legs, flaring out her dress to make sure it wouldn't get stuck in the flowers. She had on a long royal blue dress with silvery lace patterns that started at the halter straps and down to her skirt that flared out slightly.

Looking closely, she saw there were plenty of tiny little bulbs of various colors and sizes. Some of the flowers did resemble those on Earth, but some were also very alien. One flower was over two feet tall, and was twisted slightly. It reminded Nora of the structure of DNA, only way prettier. Its colors started with dark purples and greens near the bottom, and as it rose, they turned into light pinks and yellows. Small white veins could be seen running through the flower if she looked close enough.

Vie laughed as Nora leaned down to get a closer look. "So what were these cell phones you mentioned?" Vie asked. Nora had made a deal with the girl, a question for a question.

"Well, they can let you talk to anyone anywhere if you have the right number. They're mostly for communication, unless you have a smart phone, which nearly everyone does. Then you can use it for the internet." This time it was Nora's turn to laugh at Vie's lost expression. But then Nora sighed. "It would be much easier to show you, but I didn't bring my phone with me, not that it would work here anyway," she paused. "I'm sure I'm not making any sense to you."

The woman shook her head. "Midgard sounds like a wonderful place."

"It can be," Nora replied. "But Asgard is totally cool too! Or maybe it's because it's so different from here that I think that. I was looking up pictures and illustrations in books from the library yesterday-" she stopped mid-sentence as an idea occurred to her. "Hey, Vie, let's go to the library real quick."

* * *

"Jotunheim is one of the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil, connected by the Bifrost. Jotunheim is home to the race known as Jotuns, or Frost Giants…" Vie read aloud to her. She set the book on the table they were sitting at. "Why did you want me to read this to you?"

"I was just curious as to what the picture was. I can't read your language after all," Nora explained with an easy smile. That also happened to be what she tried to show Loki yesterday before he turned grumpy and stormed off. "So what are these Jot-whatevers? You said Frost Giants?"

Vie nodded solemnly. "They were once great enemies of the realm for a long time. They had even attacked Midgard once, trying to take over. They're beings who specialize in magic. They infiltrated this realm a while back at Thor's coronation ceremony, but after a quick fight with the Destroyer they were defeated. Only the Allfather was able to stand up to their leader long ago. I've heard they were quite fearsome and formidable opponents in battle."

Nora nodded along with Vie's explanation, her brain trying to piece together information that didn't make sense to her. Why would Loki get angry at her showing him pictures of these people? She was definitely missing something. Maybe she'd ask Thor or Jane about it later. After all, they knew more about Loki than she did. She hardly knew anything. "Thanks, Vie. Oh, can you tell me what the heck this creature is? It's definitely freaky looking," Nora asked, shifting the conversation. It wasn't too difficult. Nora had plenty of questions about the illustrations in these books. She loved to learn of new things and Vie was more than happy to help her out.

It wasn't long before Vie had told her that it was almost lunch time. Vie excused herself for a bit, she had to go and assist with the meal preparations. Apparently, a few of the other servants were sick so Vie had offered to help. Nora told her it was fine, she'd just sit in the library until Vie got back. She'd have plenty to entertain her.

She flipped through several books, placing names with images that Vie had told her. Then she came upon pictures of the Frost Giants again. This picture held an army of the giants fighting against an army of Asgardians. Nora chewed the end of her thumbnail, trying to figure out what the connection was between these people and Loki's sudden attitude problem. Had he fought them before? Had they hurt someone he had cared about? Or did the general dislike for the Frost Giants Vie had told her about, resonate strongly with the second prince? Nora sat there, her mind racing, coming up with crazy ideas. She felt as though the answer was staring at her in the face. It would help if she knew more about the guy. All she really knew was that he had tried to take over New York a few years prior, and that he was punished for his crimes.

A low growl snapped Nora from her thoughts as she sat in a large bay window. Looking over she saw Loki glowering down at her. "There are two of you mortals in this realm and it seems no matter where I go, one of you is always there," he muttered angrily. "Is it your intention to drive me into insanity?"

Nora looked at him incredulously. All she was doing was sitting there! Minding her own business. What the heck was his problem now?

"I will not fall for your idiotic mortal schemes," he continued. "Leave this library now."

Nora flung her legs over the ledge of the seat, planting her feet firmly on the ground, irritation clear in her posture. "Okay, what is your deal with me? I've barely spoken to you at all, and yet you're snapping at me with an attitude. I'm not sure why you've decided to hate me, but whatever. Had you not even said anything, I wouldn't have even known you were there."

Something flashed in his eyes.

"You seem to have a high sense of self, Prince Loki, to think I would merely stay inside the library to try and annoy you with my very presence," Nora continued. "I have better things to do."

"Oh really?" he asked rhetorically. "Then why do you mock me at every opportunity?"

That question gave Nora pause. Seriously, just what was going on inside his head? Had she insulted him somehow unintentionally? She wouldn't put it past herself to do so… Accidently, of course.

At her confused expression, he continued. "Why do you mock me with the title of "Prince"? It is not as though you are saying it with sincerity, or you would address my brother in the same manner. Therefore, if you are not saying it with sincerity, it must be with insult that you address me as such."

Nora just continued to stare at him, unsure what to say. She wondered how he could think she was mocking him when she had only talked to him less than a handful of times. Then she took a deep breath, trying to rid herself of irritated astonishment. "Look, I only call you "Prince" because you're a prince of Asgard. Nothing more," she told him calmly. _Not that he was acting like one._ "I don't address Thor as such, because he has already told me not to. I figured it was still respectful to call you "Prince" since I didn't really know you yet. How you thought I was mocking you, I'll never know," she sighed.

Wait… the only way he'd think she was mocking him, would be if others mocked him the same way, wouldn't it?. Was he not used to being called by his title respectfully? Nora didn't know about much about royalty, much less Asgardian royalty, but she typically knew to call those in power with their titles. Even she wasn't as absentminded to be like "Hey Odin…" to the man who reigned as King.

Loki opened his mouth to say something, but Nora continued before he could. "Do others mock you like that? But why would they…" she trailed off. Why would they mock him if he was a prince of the realm? The people seemed to recognize Thor as a prince with little problem. Did they not accept Loki as their prince? But why wouldn't they? Sure, he had tried to attack Earth, but it seemed like more. Surely, they wouldn't still be put out by that. Even the Avengers were over it, according to Jane. His anger also seemed new, as he was generally fine when they had talked yesterday. Did something happen? Or had something been happening for a while now?

"It is none of your business, human. Now leave," Loki demanded again. Nora noticed a few of the shelves tremble slightly.

"Why wouldn't you be considered their prince?" she wondered, almost inaudibly. Surely they would recognize one of their own. Which he was, wasn't he? "You are Odin's son, aren't you?" She felt like she was onto something… maybe. She watched his eyes flash with denial as he carefully blanked his face. She chuckled. "I'll take that as a no, then. So you were adopted, so what? That shouldn't matter much-"

"Just be silent, human!" Loki all but growled at her.

Slightly afraid and intimidated, Nora backed over to the table near the window, putting the table in between the two of them. She looked down at the books, but as soon as she looked down, they were being swept off the table by an invisible force. She felt the air thicken with what she assumed was his magic. He was trying to scare her.

"Oh, real mature, _Loki_ ," she grumbled, emphasizing his name purposefully. She bent down to pick them up, noticing the one was still open to the page on Jotenheim. She eyed the page, something starting to click. _"Beings who specialize in magic"_ Vie had told her… he was adopted… Nora had assumed he was adopted from somewhere on Asgard, but what if he wasn't? His sudden anger at even being shown the pictures…

"Are you one of these Jot-whatevers?" Nora asked, quietly, the idea sounding crazy to her.

She immediately regretted her mouth overruling her brain. Everything seemed to still for a moment, before the library doors slammed shut by themselves. Nora flinched at the sudden noise, still kneeling down to the ground. She automatically looked at Loki. He instantly blurred as he moved quickly, grabbing her by the throat and hauling her up to a standing position.

She had a feeling her curiosity has just taken another one of her metaphoric feline lives. And maybe her real one, judging from the rage on Loki's face.

* * *

 **Hola again! For some reason this chapter just wasn't quite working, so I kept going back to change it repeatedly. I'm not entirely sure it turned out the way I wanted it to... Anyway, let me know what you guys think! Pretty please? Criticism is welcome! Thanks for reading! -K**


	4. Chapter 4

**Greetings Loki lovers! I can't believe I have three followers for this story! It's fantastic! Now you can become my army as I take over...Uhhhh I mean... *cough cough*... Anyway, onward to the chapter! There are some mentions of things that transpired in Stone of Command. Again, if there's any questions or whatever, just PM me. I'll be happy to clarify!**

 **PS. Also, I (obviously) don't own any of these marvelous characters (except Nora). See what I did there? God, I'm so lame...**

 **PPS. Forgive any errors, grammatical or otherwise. It's late as I type this for you guys. Enjoy!**

* * *

Nora was no longer angry at Loki anymore. Now she was just terrified of him as he held her with ease up against the shelves by her throat. "Loki, let me go," she gasped, trying to pull his hand away. She didn't even budge him.

He snarled at her, squeezing his hand fractionally tighter than it had been before. "I'll be damned into Helheim if you think I'm going to let you walk out of here so you can tell everyone. It is bad enough Thor's idiot friend knows, and now you. I just got my home back, Norns forbid I let it be taken away again so soon!" Loki's rage filled eyes gave way to a sense of desperation.

What did he mean he lost his home?

"I won't tell anyone, Loki," she tried again, having little hope that he'd actually just let her go. "You're actually the one who told me."

"And how did I do that?" he asked snarling slightly. He released her enough so she could talk comfortably, and breath normally.

Inhaling huge lung fills of air, Nora tried to calm herself. Thor had told her that his brother liked to think methodically. He didn't seem prone to outbursts of emotion like the one he was displaying. Something must have been eating away at him for a while. "You freaked when I showed you the pictures. If you hadn't I would've never known."

She watched him search her eyes for any sign of lies or deceit. Suddenly, his hand was gone and she coughed while rubbing her throat. He walked over to the nearest table and leaned forward on his hands, head bowed slightly. Nora took a few steps away from him. In an instant, Loki snatched the book with the Frost Giants and slammed it shut on the table, turning his gaze to her again. "If you even think of telling anyone about this, or hinting as its truth, I will make you wish for death long before I grant it to you."

A shudder forced its way through Nora. He was completely serious. She nodded slowly. "I'll keep it a secret, but not because you threatened me." She wanted to smack herself. God, she was an idiot! Apparently, she had a death wish. His eyes narrowed, and she raised her arms in a hopefully placating gesture. "It's not my secret to tell. Not _my_ life that it would affect."

He watched her again, gauging her for lies.

Nora sighed at him pitifully. "Jeez, don't you trust anyone?" Only silence answered her, but it gave her the answer to her question. "You don't have any friends?"

"I have one," he grumbled like a petulant child proving her wrong, but otherwise in control of himself again. "But she isn't here."

"Well, you can trust me," she told him, still faintly rubbing her throat. "If I make a promise, I keep it to the best of my ability."

Loki regarded her again. "I doubt it," he murmured, turning on his heel again to walk away from the library. Nora watched slightly fascinated as the doors opened and shut on their own as he left.

She stood there, wondering what had drove him to explode like that. After a few moments, she shrugged it off, bending to pick the fallen books up off the floor. She could guess facts well enough, but guessing what someone was thinking was nearly impossible. Especially for someone like Loki who was all over the place.

* * *

Everything that had transpired kept replaying through her mind, and she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the prince. Not wanting to stay inside the library anymore, Nora wandered the halls aimlessly, no real destination in mind. She passed several windows overlooking Asgard as she walked, and once again she was taken by the foreign beauty that it held. She walked by several sitting areas, a couple large rooms that radiated heat that she figured must have been the kitchens, and even an open bathing area for the Asgardians. Nora had froze in momentary shock as several people walked around almost, to completely, nude. Seeing more than she had bargained for, she darted away. She was glad Thor had the foresight to give her a room with its own bathing space.

Eventually, she found her way to one of the training grounds that Thor and his friends were currently sparring in. Jane was sitting to the side on a large bench, and Nora plopped down next to her. "Hey, Jane."

"Hi Nora," Jane replied, smiling. Her smile fell as she looked at Nora. "What happened to your throat?"

"Oh, uh," _think Nora, think!_ "I had my hand curled underneath my chin in the library for a while." Thankfully, Jane just shrugged, turning her attention back to the sparring match going on. Nora watched as the warriors taunted each other in between serious bouts of attacking and defending. "So Jane, when are we leaving for Earth?"

Jane wondered for a moment. "Two more days. The rest of the day today, all day tomorrow, and we're leaving the next day. I told Erik I'd try to be home around lunch."

Nora nodded, a little sad that her vacation was nearing its end.

When the others were done sparring, they all walked over and Jane handed them towels to help wipe themselves off. They expressed their appreciation as they tried to wipe their faces. "We should do this more often," Fandral laughed.

"We will my friends," Thor smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. The warriors bowed slightly and walked away. Thor smiled down at Jane and Nora and told them he was going to clean up quickly, and that he'd meet them at lunch. He walked away and looked back once he neared the doorway, and Jane waved him goodbye. He waved back at her and almost ended up running into the wall as he looked back at them. Nora stifled a laugh behind her hand as he then disappeared quickly. She found it humorous that he was trying to adopt some earthly ways.

"Come on Jane, let's go find lunch," Nora suggested, standing up.

"You know your way to the dining area?" Jane laughed. They started walking and Nora noticed the woman' s elegant red dress. Hmm…maybe she should have picked a red dress.

"You got me," Nora snickered. She was glad Jane knew her well enough to joke about her having no sense of direction. She thought of her friendship with the scientist, and even Thor. She had friends around her, unlike Mr. Crankypants. She wasn't sure if that made her happy for herself, or sad for him.

* * *

A loud knocking on her door woke Nora up once again. Nora groaned and squinted at the light invading her room. It still appeared to be early morning. Couldn't she sleep in at least a little? For one day?

She slumped over to the door, still slightly clumsy with sleep. Her sweat pants dragged across the floor, and she straightened her tank top. "Look Vie, we've talked about this," Nora complained, rubbing her eyes and opening the door. "Don't wake me up for another few-"

Nora froze, no longer tired. It wasn't Vie at her door. It was Loki. He wore his usual coat over his dark clothing, his hair pushed back reaching the edges of his collar. He wore a charming smile that Nora couldn't help but feel uneasy about. "Umm… Loki?" she managed to ask slowly, unsure as to what was happening. Why was he here? She could vividly recall the dark glares he sent her way during dinner the previous night. She couldn't imagine why he'd actively seek her out.

The charming smile didn't falter. "I am here to escort you around today, Midgardian. As Thor's guest, you should be shown Asgard at its finest. It is only fitting a member of the royal family should be the one to do so. The Allfather and Mother are busy, and Thor is with his mortal woman," he explained smoothly.

Nora looked past Loki into the hallway, thinking that he'd have a couple guards go with them, or at least someone else to accompany them. She found no one. Why would he want to be alone all day with her-

"No…" she dragged out the word, quirking an eyebrow at him. She felt like an idiot, but she'd blame it on the fact that she had just woken up "You're here to make sure I don't go blabbing my mouth to anyone. I'm not stupid, despite what you may think." Nora expected him to drop the smile and walk away sulking. He didn't, and she just looked at him. "Anyway, Vie was supposed to be the one showing me around."

"I have informed my mother of the changes in plan. While surprised, she did not argue. In fact, she quite approved of the new plan," Loki told her, still standing tall, hands behind his back.

Nora narrowed her eyes at him in irritation. She really wanted to slam the door in his face, but figured that would be rude. "Fine," she grumbled, not seeing a way out of it. However, her slight frown turned into a grin. "But I choose where we go all day. It's my last day in Asgard, and I want to see _everything._ " She released the door, letting its weight shut itself in his face. God of mischief, ha! She'd give him a run for his money.

* * *

"This is really good!" Nora approved, taking a bite of the sweet treat in her hands. So far she had made Loki show her most of the castle. She had lost count of all the rooms and halls they passed. At one point, she thought Loki may have been just walking her in circles. Then she made him take her through the gardens again. Next was the city, through all the shops and stores. She wouldn't deny picking some shops that she wasn't even interested in, just to see how long he'd keep up the gentleman façade.

"I'm glad you like it," he responded casually, still walking beside her. Nora had wanted to stop inside a small building that Loki had informed her was a sweet shop of sorts. Hesitant at first in case he was trying to trick her, she quickly found he was telling the truth. She was now munching on something that resembled rock candy, but tasted sweet like honey. "Where to now?" he asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"Hmmm…" she thought. She was running out of ideas of places to drag him to. "Oh! I want to go see the ocean. I saw it when we crossed the bridge and from a distance, but never up close."

Loki nodded his agreement, and steered them towards their destination. As Nora walked, she was glad that today's dress was a bit shorter and easier for walking around. The dress was a deep pink color and fell in layers around her shins, slightly shimmering in the daylight. Her shoes that she had picked out were short strappy boots that went above her ankle and had a slight heel.

While they walked, Loki generally remained silent. He only spoke when asking the next destination, or answering a question Nora may have had. He still walked tall, hands behind his back. No signs of irritation or his readiness to drop the tour guide idea of his.

"Wow," Nora whispered as they reached the beach. She took off running towards the water, but stopped to take her shoes off. She tugged at her boots as she stood, nearly falling over a couple times, before she finally got them off. Instantly, she darted off towards the water, leaving her shoes behind. She felt like a kid when her toes sank into the sand and the water rushed over her feet. The water was slightly chilly compared to the warm weather around her, so she rubbed her arms quickly.

"What's wrong human, don't like the cold?" Loki taunted from the beach.

She made a face at him, throwing her arms out and feeling the breeze rush up against her. "I don't mind the cold at all, actually. I like all kinds of weather." She turned and looked at the sky as it started turning into pale pinks and oranges. Far off in the distance, Nora could see the endless span of space. Looking around she saw buildings placed sporadically, and even a portion of the Bifrost.

Eyeing a large chunk of something solid, Nora left the water and sat down. It felt cold and hard like concrete, but it was smooth as glass. She dried her feet while brushing sand away from her legs. "You can sit, you know," Nora told Loki as he stood there. There was at least another four feet of space on the chunk of whatever she was sitting on. He just looked out at the water, eyes looking conflicted. "Or don't, it's up to you," she shrugged, pulling on her boots.

"You don't appear to be afraid of me," Loki said suddenly.

Nora looked up at him. "Well, you aren't exactly scary right now."

"I could kill you out here and no one would be able to find you," he said casually, like he may have been thinking about ways to get rid of her.

She smiled, unable to help the small chuckle that escaped her. "I would find that scary, but you already told your mother that you'd be with me all day. If I don't come back, it would be rather suspicious, don't ya think?" She thought she heard a small sigh escape him over the sound of the crashing waves, but she couldn't be sure. "Anyway, there's one more place I want to go. I want to see the Bifrost again."

When no immediate reply came, she looked back at him. He was looking out towards the bridge. "You're sitting on a piece of it," he told her, looking towards the bridge still.

"I'm sorry?"

He took a deep breath. "I may have been _partially_ responsible for the destruction of the Bifrost a while back. As you can see, it has been repaired since."

Her eyes widened. "You destroyed the Bifrost?" Then she frowned. "You know, I don't know much about you. Or Thor really. Just some stories Jane and Darcy have told me about Thor, but not a whole lot on you. Care to share?" She couldn't deny she wanted to figure out the man next to her, or Thor even. She wanted to know their stories.

"No," he answered, starting to walk away.

Nora scoffed and ran after him. Typical. It only took her a few seconds to catch up. "So you're going with the mysterious guy thing?" she joked.

"No," he answered again, facing straight ahead.

She grinned. "Your one word answers beg to differ. You're not saying anything, hence mysterious." That time he didn't reply. He merely walked ahead, face carefully blank. "You know," Nora began again at his silence. "You don't have to show me around. Don't feel forced to stick with me because you think I'll tell someone about you. Seeing Asgard isn't fun with someone who isn't even enjoying their self." She pointed ahead of them. "I can see the bridge from here, and I'm sure I can manage to make it back to the palace. It's kind of hard to miss," she told him.

He stopped and looked at her curiously. When he made no move to argue with her, or to continue towards the Bifrost, Nora just gave him a small smile and kept walking ahead. He made no move to follow her.

She really didn't know how to take him. But she was right about one thing. She knew she'd have a lot more fun if the person showing her around wasn't practically sulking the whole time she explored. She needed Thor or one of his friends to show her around, someone fun and outgoing. They would have probably gotten in the water with her, even if it was just their feet.

 _Oh well,_ she shrugged. She'd enjoy the time she had left regardless.

She jogged once she reached the large gate-like structures of the beginning of the bridge. The large pillars towered over her, reaching high into the sky. As she walked by, she put her hand out, trailing it across the smooth metal.

"Are you going to make it onto the actual bridge anytime soon, or is this what you wanted to see?"

Nora didn't turn at the voice, but she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "Oh, I'm getting to the bridge. Why rush? Did you decide to quit being so sullen?"

"Perhaps," came Loki's answer. "But I would suggest you hurry, unless you _want_ to miss dinner?"

Was this his way of trying to apologize? Or was she looking too into it?

Mentally shrugging, she made her way onto the bridge. As she walked, she looked down at the bridge. She watched the energy flowing through the bridge, and she even noticed that her footsteps left little bright spots as she walked. She could see the ocean waves through the bridge. However, she started getting dizzy trying to focus through the bridge, so she looked up instead.

Once she made it to the lookout, the man that operated the Bifrost turned to them. Nora still got the impression that he was looking at her and looking at several other things all at once.

"Hello," she greeted, waving at the man a bit awkwardly.

"Hello, Nora," the man smiled kindly.

"How did-" she began, but Loki answered her question before she could finish it.

"He knows _almost_ everything in the Nine Realms. Heimdall is the _great_ Gatekeeper." Nora couldn't help but almost feel the sarcasm roll off Loki.

"Almost?" Nora asked. Wait, the guy could see anything in space? She wondered how that worked.

"The second prince likes to think he's humorous," Heimdall commented in a falsely respectful tone.

"You say that, but you did not see my approach, did you?" Loki taunted. Heimdall shot him a look of pure irritation.

Nora looked back and forth, not sure what was going on. Clearly they both held some sort of animosity towards the other. She stood there unsure what to do or say.

"Perhaps not," Heimdall answered Loki. "I see no need to try and watch the only outcast of the royal family sulk about."

Nora's mouth opened slightly in shock.

"Watch your tongue Heimdall," Loki threatened quietly.

The man turned his back to them, going back to watching the universe. "I am loyal to the Allfather and to Asgard, _Prince._ Not you. You've done nothing to earn my respect. Did you think dying would change my opinion of you? That was not much compensation in my opinion. Dying is easy."

 _Oh, snap…_ Nora thought, dumbfounded. She watched as Loki's eyes flashed dangerously and Heimdall still kept his back to them. How did she manage to get herself into these weird situations?

* * *

 **What'd you guys think? This chapter was another I had to type and mess with a few times. There was just too much I wanted to put into it, but it really didn't move the story along. Tell me how I did! Please? Reviewers can borrow Loki until the next update! Sorry, Loki... It has to be done!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Greetings Loki lovers! I present to you another chapter!**

* * *

Nora took a few steps forward in between the two, raising her arms a bit. Not that she could stop them if they wanted to fight. "Okay, okay, everyone calm down," Nora said nervously, trying to distract them. What did he mean Loki died? He was standing right next to her. Never mind, she'd worry about it later. "So Heimdall, you can see Earth right now? And everyone on it?"

Heimdall turned to her, ignoring Loki completely. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"I was going to see if you could check up on Darcy for me. She got sick before we left, and I was wondering if she was alright. She's Jane's friend and-"

"I know of your adopted cousin," Heimdall told her, smiling slightly. "She is most amusing for a mortal." He turned again, looking out into the depths of space. He was silent for a while, leaving Nora to wonder if he'd answer her or not. Should she leave?

"She is doing well now. She's sleeping on the living room couch. Erik Selvig is with her," Heimdall finally answered, back still turned.

Nora nodded her thanks. "That's good. A bit surprised she isn't complaining about being sick and driving Erik crazy, but I suppose she needs to sleep too. Thank you Heimdall." He merely bowed his head in acknowledgement. She sensed the slight air of finality, and took that as her leave to head back. She gave him a quick wave, unsure if he saw it. Then she figured he did if he could see Earth. Seriously, how did he see everything?

She started walking, unsure if Loki would follow or stay back to fight with Heimdall. She had no interest of getting in between them again. Being choked once was already past her limit of physical confrontation for the next lifetime.

After walking for almost two minutes and reaching the halfway point of the bridge, did Loki finally teleport next to her as she walked. At his sudden appearance, Nora nearly jumped a foot in the air, letting out a shriek. She also instinctively threw her arm out in a slapping motion, but he just caught her arm and released her just as quickly. He stomped a little harder than necessary as he walked, showing no signs of a fight.

Nora hurried to catch up as he walked faster in his anger. Seriously, did everyone have to be so dang tall?

"Will you wait? Slow down? Seriously, at this point I think you'd crawl faster than I walk," Nora called, muttering the last part under her breath. When he didn't respond except to continue storming off, Nora took a deep breath and sprinted past him, stopping a few feet in front of him. She held out her hands in front of her."Stop, will ya?"

"Why?!" He snapped at her. At his outburst, Nora flinched slightly, but held her ground. His chest heaved with each sharp breath and he looked furious.

"Just talk, jeez. Say something, you don't even have to really say it to me, although talking to yourself might make you look crazy, but you need to calm down a little," she told him, trying to lighten the mood. It was really all she could do.

"I don't _need_ to do anything," he glared at her. "I don't take orders from you or anyone."

 _Jeez, here we go._ "I never said you did! But I don't think it's a good idea going back to the palace all pissed off is a good idea," she snapped back. Oh crap… She just lost another feline life by the look he gave her. She really should work on getting control of herself more.

He was silent for a minute, still breathing heavily in his anger. She took a few hesitant steps backwards, lowering her arms. She watched him mutter something as he looked away.

"What?" she asked.

"Why?"

Her face scrunched up. "Why what?"

He let loose a sound of frustration from the back of his throat. "Why do you care?" he growled, eyes trained on her again.

"Look, I'm just being friendly, alright? You look like you need some help." He went to say something else but she cut him off. "What that help is, I don't know. You seem to like arguing though, so I guess that kind of helps. I don't know you very well, but I've gathered enough to get a pretty basic picture. You need a friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance."

"I don't need friends," he responded automatically.

She sighed, shaking her head. "You're so immature. Tell you one thing, so you do another. I was like you for a while." Although, she was a _child_ at the time. Dang, was she that annoying as a kid? She felt sorry for her parents. Well, adoptive parents. Maybe she should apologize when she returned. She was certain that she wasn't nearly as bad as Loki; she didn't think anyone could be that infuriatingly stubborn.

She watched as curiosity gave way to some of the anger in his eyes, but he still remained silent.

"Are you calmed down a little now so we can _walk_ back? Or are you going to disappear and let me go hungry? In case you hadn't noticed, I get a little lost sometimes. I could end up in another realm before I got to the castle," she joked, still trying to lighten the mood. She knew she wasn't that bad. Besides, who could miss the humongous golden palace? She could see it from there. As she expected, he huffed but continued to walk at a normal pace.

 _Phew,_ she mentally sighed, closing her eyes in relief.

They walked through the city again, caught in an uncomfortable silence. Nora kept shooting him quick glances, unsure if he was truly calmed down. She supposed he hadn't tried to hurt her this time when she yelled at him, so that was progress right? Maybe?

Once they reached the palace gates, the beautiful night sky swallowed the last sliver of daylight. Torches of light were spread throughout the grounds, lighting the paths back into the palace. Nora was a bit distracted looking up into the Asgardian cosmos above her. The moons glowed softly, only making the sky look darker and the stars brighter. She had walked a good ten feet before realizing Loki wasn't walking anymore. She turned to find him looking down, uncertain. "Loki?"

He took a bracing breath. "Forgive my rudeness displayed thus far."

Nora burst into quiet laughter, making his attention snap towards her. "Man that was almost painful, wasn't it? That was probably the worst apology ever. It actually sounded like an order more than an apology."

His nostrils flared, and he grit his teeth. "I ask that you forgive me earlier actions," he muttered unhappily.

Nora just continued to laugh and turned to keep walking. She couldn't help it! She tried pressing her lips together, but it wouldn't contain her quiet laughter. She kept walking, trying not to laugh in his face. He had tried, she guessed. He failed miserably, but he tried, and she figured that it was a rare occurrence. She barely made it five steps before he teleported in front of her.

"Pray tell what it is that you find humorous."

She tried to stop the grin from pulling at her mouth, she really did. "Well, you've _told_ me to forgive you, and you've asked for forgiveness, but you have actually yet to apologize."

He looked at her for a moment, a strange look passing over his features.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Nora asked. Silence answered her, which she assumed would be his answer. She just shrugged and moved around him to the inside of the palace.

"You reminded me of someone just now," he finally responded, still standing behind her.

"Oh?" she called back, still walking. "And who would that be? The mystery friend?" She heard Loki's steps eat up the space she had created.

"Yes."

"I'm going to have to meet this mystery friend one day," she smiled at him.

He made a noncommittal sound. Then he looked over at her. "What did you mean you were "like me"?

Out of habit with him, she almost responded jokingly, but she realized the question was genuinely curious. "I know what's it like to be adopted. To feel out of place. Granted, most people feel out of place at some point in their lives. To feel like the odd one out, like you're unwanted. It's a hard thing to deal with," she told him, trying to explain. "I don't know what all you've gone through, and believe me when I say I have questions, but I _think_ I have an idea where you're coming from."

She could feel his gaze on her as they walked through the large palace halls, but this time the silence wasn't so uncomfortable.

* * *

"Nora! There you are," Jane's voice yelled suddenly.

"Hey, Jane," Nora greeted. She wondered if she imagined the slight worry in Jane's voice. Jane and Thor were waiting outside the dining hall.

"Where've you been? I almost had Thor send out a search party for you." Jane's half joking smile faltered when she saw Loki standing nearby.

"Oh, Loki offered to show me around today, that's all," she told her friend, glad she had someone to watch out for her.

"He did, did he?" Thor asked, watching his brother curiously.

"Yep," Nora nodded. "Now let's eat! I'm starving. I haven't had anything since the sweet shop earlier." Her stomach growled as she spoke and the many smells invaded her nose. She looked at Thor's cape as he walked, and she clapped him on the arm. "And I really need to talk to you about getting a cool cape like yours. I've only got half a day left."

Thor laughed and nodded, saying he might have an old one she could have, while leading them to a table surrounded by merry people and stories aplenty. Nora had tried everything Thor had pushed her way. Jane kept trying to explain something they had looked at during the day. From what Nora caught, it was science mumbo jumbo to her, but she laughed as Thor tried to keep up. She no longer felt Loki's glares on her like the previous night, but every once in a while she felt like she was being watched. Vie had come over and joined them at the table. Making up for lost time, Vie had dived right into her seemingly endless questions about Earth. Between Jane and Nora trying to explain (Jane doing a much better job than she did), Vie seemed happy with all of her answers. Before Nora knew it, it was late into the night and it was time for her to return to her room for the last time.

* * *

As expected, Nora hardly slept at all that night. She still wanted her time on Asgard to continue, but she understood that she couldn't stay forever. That morning, Nora watched as the sun rose, seeing all the changing colors of the sky. She stood on her small balcony, enjoying the crisp morning air.

Well, it was official. Any vacation back on Earth would never compare to Asgard. She wondered if Heimdall would let her visit sometime.

After putting her jeans on and a t-shirt, she laid the dresses she had gotten on the bed neatly. She wanted to take them, but she knew she'd have no opportunity to wear them after she left. Making her way out of the room, she put on a jacket and folded the cape Thor had given her last night. She may not keep the dresses, but she was keeping the cape!

The palace halls were mostly empty, save a few of the servants bustling about and a few guards walking around. They paid Nora no attention as they all went about their day. By now, Nora sort of knew her way around that particular part of the castle, so she decided to have one last look around.

The sun finally peaked itself over the edges of the horizon while Nora walked through the gardens. Swerving through the large columns, she watched as everything seemed to come to life. Usually Nora missed this part of the day. She supposed she could see the appeal of the early morning, but she still preferred to sleep in at least a little.

Rounding the corner of the garden, she made her way back inside the palace. She ran her hands absently against the stone walls as she walked. She reached the large double doors of the library next. Pushing on the right door, she opened it enough for her to squeeze inside. The table she had books stacked up on from the other day had remained untouched. Did anyone but her and Loki come into the library?

She walked over, heaving her bag onto the table, and flipped through some of the books again. She chuckled under her breath as she remembered Vie trying to explain what a kilnberg was. Nora still wasn't quite sure what the creature was, but watching Vie trying to explain it to her was priceless. She would miss her Asgardian friend.

A quiet sigh startled Nora slightly, but she recognized it, smiling. "You always seem to show up where I'm at Loki, keep this up and I might think you're stalking me," she joked, turning to see him standing in the library doorway. She hoped he caught her meaning, trying to copy what he had accused her of a couple days ago.

He rolled his eyes in a very Earth-like way. He just shook his head and headed up the stairs to the floor above. "As if I would stoop so low as to stalk a human," he muttered, his voice falling through the silence. He didn't seem angry as he had the past few days. "Why are you even up? Don't you like to sleep all day?" He taunted, looking over the railing slightly.

"Sure do!" Nora replied, not missing a beat. She was glad he was being civil. "But as it is my last day, I couldn't sleep. Decided one last walk about the palace was in order."

"Frankly, I'm surprised you made your way here," Loki continued while perusing the shelves above.

Nora laughed good naturedly. It seemed he was joking with her now. Maybe she had made a small step of progress. "What're you doing up so early?" she asked, grabbing some of the books to put them back on the shelf.

Silence provided no answer from him, so she just put up the books she had grabbed and looked out one of the larger windows to the library. The window gave her a view of the Bifrost, only reminding her that she should probably go find Jane. Surely the woman was up by now, being an early riser and all. Nora made her way back to her table near the center of the library to grab her backpack. When she got to the table, her bag was gone.

"Hey, Loki," Nora called loudly. "Did you take my bag?"

Silence.

"Loki!" she tried again. "Loki!"

Suddenly, his upper body appeared over the railings. "What? The library is supposed to be a _silent_ place."

"Where's my bag?"

"How would I know where you left your human belongings? Maybe you lost it," he huffed, disappearing once again.

"You're the only other person in the library. Not to mention a certain _someone_ is known for his mischief and pranks. Not exactly a leap to think you did it," Nora called up to him. "Just give it back, I gotta get going!"

This time he appeared over the railings, hands almost digging into the metal harshly. "Are you deaf, human? I don't know where you've placed your bag," he growled, angry. "What would I want with your bag anyway?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Then what happened-" she started to say, but stopped when she heard a thud from behind her. Her bag was laying in the middle of the floor. _What the heck?_ She walked over to the bag cautiously. She hadn't left it in the middle of the floor.

"See," Loki scoffed. "It is right there, and yet you accuse me of taking it." Shaking his head rudely, he turned away and disappeared from the railing.

 _Yeah, but it wasn't there before,_ she thought. Bending over she grabbed her bag and looked at it. As she inspected the bag, something caught her attention next to her a couple feet away. Looking over, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly, it felt like her hair was standing on end, giving her goose bumps. That didn't make sense, why would she be on edge? There wasn't anything-

Suddenly, she felt something deliver a blow to her side, flinging her across the room like a doll. She blanked for a moment, only recalling tumbling across a part of the floor. Her back smacked into a chair and a dull pain exploded in her back. Laying there, she tried not to panic as she had the wind knocked from her.

 _Breathe! Breathe!_ She willed her lungs to function, but they refused to cooperate. Those few seconds felt like minutes as she finally drew in a shaky breath. "Loki!" she wheezed, trying to push herself up. Coughing, she shouted for the prince again.

"Now what is it-" he went to snap at her before falling silent again. In the blink of an eye, Loki vanished and appeared next to her. "What happened?"

"Something's in here-"

Before she could finish her sentence, one of the library chairs were flying at them, spinning as it flew. Loki's hand shot out, knocking the chair away to the other side of the room with his magic. Nora watched as the chair broke into pieces, crunching in the otherwise silent room. Once again something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. "Loki, over there somewhere," she pointed towards the center of the library, in the circle of light from the glass roof. She couldn't see whatever caught her attention now, but she could've swore she saw a shimmering of sorts before. Trepidation made its way through her body.

"Show yourself," Loki demanded, standing a few feet in front of Nora.

An eerie, guttural sounding growl echoed through the library, making Nora shiver. That wasn't like anything she had ever heard from real life or any movie she had seen. In an instant, Loki darted towards the center of the room, hands firing a spell as he went. He made it to the middle of the circle of light and nothing happened. Coming to a halt, he eyed the room carefully. Nora was about to call out to him, when suddenly he vanished in a small flash of green light. Confused, she watched as another Loki appeared not too far away. Was that one of his magic tricks she had heard of?

Before she could think about how cool that was, Loki was suddenly smashed down by some invisible blow, knocking him to his hands and knees painfully. Snarling, he let his magic explode from him in a large wave as he jumped back up. As soon as he stood, he cried out as a small dagger-like blade sunk into his lower side. Nora couldn't tell where the weapon had come from, but Loki was soon falling back to his knees, holding his side.

"Loki," she breathed, running to him. She didn't think twice about whatever was attacking them. Adrenaline had pushed her throbbing pain to the back of her mind. She just ran, trying to make sure he wasn't hurt too badly. By the time she made it to him, he was laying on his side, his back to her. She slid on her knees to him, grabbing his coat to try and roll him back over towards her.

Instantly, she felt like she had put her hand against a cold freezer door.

 _What the heck did that dagger do?_

Her eyes widened as she finally got a look at him. "Holy crap, why are you blue?"

* * *

 **I just wanted to say thank you to all of the followers of this story! I'm incredibly thrilled that you like it so far, and I hope to keep you on your toes. I'm currently a few chapters ahead, but it's so hard to pace myself and not post it so you all can see the craziness in my imagination! I also wanted to thank SugarCoatTheTruth for messaging me back with the wonderful words! I'm pretty sure I wrote about three chapters after I saw your message. Feedback is very encouraging and inspiring, and for someone who writes fairly quickly, I crave it! Also, a thank you to Cinell for reviewing!**

 **Please, please, please, leave a review or let me know what you think! You'll only get the chapters that much quicker! -K**


	6. Chapter 6

***Note at the end. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Loki, you're blue!" Nora gasped again. Why was he blue? And his eyes…they were a bright red, a striking contrast to his blue skin. Nora noticed small patches of ice forming around him as he lay there holding his side. He tried to sit up, moving slowly. "Loki?" she asked a little scared, reaching towards him.

"Don't touch me!" he snarled at her, looking at her quickly. Flinching back, she withdrew her hand.

 _What the heck was going on?_

Before she could ask any of the dozens of questions flowing through her brain, she became paralyzed as the eerie growl sounded directly into her ear. Pulling herself away on instinct, she felt a large claw-like appendage wrap around her arm and toss her towards one of the walls. She flew through the air once again, barely rolling to a stop before the creature held her up against the wall in between a set of tables. She could feel the creatures hand or claw dig into her throat, cutting off her oxygen quickly. _If only she could see the thing!_

She fumbled against the wall, reaching onto the table for a weapon, but she found none. Then she tried to pull the creature away from her throat, panicking as she fought to breathe. She didn't get anywhere. She might as well been trying to push a mountain for all the good it did. Her lungs burning, she reached onto the tables again searching blindly for anything that could be used as a weapon.

Gasping as her hand brushed against something, she grabbed a hold of it and swung her hand up and in front of her. Glass smashed in her hand as a dark liquid coated her hands and a part of the creature. Her hand vaguely stung as she watched in horrid fascination as the liquid coated the part of the creature. The creature hadn't even flinched at the glass breaking against it. She could make out a vague shape of what she assumed was a large snarling mouth and a slender shoulder.

As her vision started to blur out of focus, the creature suddenly screeched sharply and dropped Nora ungracefully to the ground. Gasping, Nora pushed herself back into the wall and watched as the creature reared backwards and knocked over a bookshelf. Looking over back to Loki, she saw him fall back to his side and curl in on himself. Nora eyed the creature again as it twisted in circles trying to dislodge the large dagger from its back. She darted back towards Loki, hovering over him, unsure what to do.

 _What could she do?_

"What's wrong?" she demanded shakily. He was still curling in on himself, almost in a fetal position. He groaned something incoherent as he covered his face from the sunlight streaming down from the ceiling. Maybe the sunlight was hurting him somehow? She didn't bother to ask why, her brain to frazzled to get distracted for once.

 _Figures I need a near death experience to not be distracted,_ Nora thought sarcastically. She grabbed her bag not too far away and threw her new cape over him to cover his upper body. Behind her, the creature thrashed around until she heard a slight clanging. Nora watched frozen as the black covered creature made its way back towards them.

"We've got to go! Come on," she huffed, trying to pull him up. As expected, she barely managed to nudge him before the creature once again tossed her to the side. She groaned as the once forgotten dull pain came back ten-fold, taking the breath from her lungs momentarily. Trying to breathe, she watched as the creature hovered over Loki's body. Looking around for a weapon of some kind, she grabbed a book and desperately threw it without really thinking. The book sailed through the air and hit the creature, falling to the floor almost comically.

 _Oh crap…_ She thought as the creature turned towards her, becoming a blur as it sped towards her. In a split second decision, she darted around the table and darted towards the library door. "THOR!" she screamed as loud as her scratchy throat would allow. She pulled the door open enough for her to escape and automatically started running down the hall. She vaguely heard the sound of wood crunching but she wasn't going to turn around to look.

Heart pounding, Nora ran as fast as her legs would allow. She was dimly thankful that she had put on her Earth clothes and wasn't in her elegant Asgardian dresses. There was no way she could run in those. Rounding a corner, she immediately smacked into something and bounced back a few feet before falling on her butt. Instinctively she started swinging her arms in front of her to try and protect herself.

"Nora, what is it?" Thor's voice demanded deeply. He held Mjolnir in his hand tightly.

She stopped swinging and looked at him, vicious relief flowing through her. She pointed a shaky hand backwards, answering him. As soon as she pointed, the creature rounded the corner. Immediately, Thor narrowed his eyes and leapt over her, wielding his hammer. The creature growled and darted away again, Thor and it disappearing around the corner.

Nora sat in the middle of the hallway, taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself. She wasn't aware that she was shaking until she looked down at her hands. She eyed the black liquid, dimly realizing it was ink that stained her hands and parts of her clothes. She just stared at her hands as her brain tried to come to terms with being attacked and the fact she could've almost died. Everything seemed to be moving slowly; even her breathing had evened out. Was she going into shock? She felt detached as she sat there, shivering like it was cold-

Cold…

Loki!

Jumping up with new energy, Nora ran back to the library, stumbling a bit on shaky legs. She wrenched the door open and walked inside. The circle of the room that was lit up was now empty. "Loki!" she shouted, panting slightly. A quiet rustling of clothes was her only response. She turned in sharp circles, looking everywhere before she finally saw him in a darkened corner of the library. He was still covered in the dark cape she had thrown over him. Walking towards him, she bent down a little, trying to get to his eye level. "Loki…?" she tried again.

"Just leave me be," his reply came quietly.

She fell to her knees in front of him and pulled the cape up off him to look at him. Yep…he was still blue. "So…uh, care to share?" she forced a strained laugh, gesturing to him.

"Share what? You already posses the knowledge," he continued, still looking down and away from her.

"So you're blue because of the Jot-Jut….ummm…"

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Jotuns," he shook his head at her like she was an idiot. "And yes."

"Don't shake your head at me. You never told me you were blue, and it's not like the books were painted blue for me," she snapped. Then she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Then she plopped back onto her butt, sitting in front of him. _Deep breaths, deep breaths,_ she chanted mentally, trying to calm her racing pulse. She noticed she was still slightly trembling as she flexed her hands. Her adrenaline was slowly fading, leaving her crashing from its high.

"You're injured," Loki commented offhandedly, looking at her hand.

 _I am?_ she thought. He then pointed to her hand that was covered with ink. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. Guess the adrenaline blocked the pain," she mumbled. Then she looked at him closely. "What about you? You got stabbed!"

He huffed at her concern, looking away once again. "I am fine, human."

She squinted her eyes at him. "Anyone ever tell you that you're hard to talk to?" His mouth twitched into an almost smirk. "Do you feel any different like that?" she asked before she could stop herself. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Never mind," she continued, waving her hand. "My mouth got ahead of me." Before she could say anything else, she made her way to the space of wall next to him and closed her eyes to rest. She could feel the dark pull of sleep pull at her mind, coaxing her into slumber as she sat there.

" _What happened here?!"_

Nora jumped as the voice suddenly boomed and echoed around her. Looking over quickly, she saw Odin and Frigga standing in the center of the room. Frigga looked worried but Odin gave away nothing in his carefully blank face. Nora could see some guards stationed outside the doors in the hallway. She tried to respond, her mind replaying everything that happened, but she couldn't provide any words. How was she to explain the whole situation? Where would she even begin?

"There was some sort of creature, hidden from sight. It attacked, I assume it is now fleeing from Thor as we speak," Loki answered calmly. Nora sat there quietly, but she didn't miss the small flash of surprise on Odin's face or the slight frown Frigga had as she went to her son. Although clearly worried, Frigga made no move to physically check Loki to see if he was alright. Nora could vaguely recall he had snapped at her not to touch him. "Can you change me back?" Loki asked looking up at Odin, sounding surprisingly vulnerable.

Odin stared back at him for a few silent moments before stepping forward.

"You can let go now, dear," Frigga's voice came to Nora. Looking at the woman in confusion, Frigga glanced down at Nora's hands. She followed Frigga's line of vision to see her hand bunched up in Loki's coat sleeve, tight enough to make her knuckles white. Instantly Nora released his sleeve and flexed her hands. She must've grabbed him when Odin scared the crap out of her.

"Sorry," she told Loki quietly, looking up at him. He merely looked back at her, red eyes studying her.

"You don't seem afraid of my son like this," Frigga said, studying Nora closely as well.

Nora started to feel slightly embarrassed having them both staring at her intently. "Oh, well it's not a big deal. I mean he's blue, sure, but he looks pretty neat actually. Besides, on Earth, people can dress up and paint themselves any color for costumes, and there's always contacts that make people's eyes different colors. He's still himself so nothing to freak out about right?" Nora rambled quickly and awkwardly, stammering whatever thoughts came to her mind. Frigga went to say something, but was interrupted as Thor pushed his way into the library.

"It got away. Is everyone alright?" Thor breathed heavily. Looking at Loki, his eyes widened. "You're in that form again?" he asked. He hadn't meant it rudely, but he was curious.

"The dagger it stabbed me with must have been poisoned somehow, I expect. Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to counteract the Allfather's magic," Loki explained, sounding detached.

"Stabbed?!" Frigga demanded, moving the cloak away to get a closer look at her son.

"Secure the palace. Nothing gets in or out!" Odin shouted to the guards stationed outside. Instantly, Nora heard their running footsteps fade down the hallway. Odin made long, yet slow, strides to Loki and gestured for him to stand up.

"It seems whatever I was stabbed with was also laced with a mild paralytic," Loki told him with a slight sneer. "I cannot stand." He seemed oddly pleased at having Odin lean down towards him. Odin sighed, and leaned over slightly, resting his hand on Loki's forehead. Nora waited for something to happen or for an explanation, but nothing happened.

"It is not working," Odin announced quietly, standing up to tower over them again.

"What?!" Loki hissed, leaning forward.

"Whatever has changed you back is old and powerful magic. I cannot undo it now," Odin told him. Nora felt like Odin was being a bit aloof by the situation, but clearly Loki was upset by the news.

"I will not skulk about the palace, like some criminal again, hoping no one will discover me!" Loki snapped, outraged.

Odin stood there, merely looking at Loki while he fumed; while Frigga laid her hand on Loki's shoulder in sympathy. "Is there nothing you can do, Father?" Thor asked, coming to join the circle of them.

"I'm afraid not, Thor. Perhaps the magic will wear off in time; I cannot say," Odin answered after a tense moment of silence.

Nora heard a quiet crackling sound and looked down to see that ice was forming on the floor and wall where Loki was in contact with, proof of his anger that he didn't try to hide. Surprisingly, he said nothing, even if his eyes displayed the rage he felt.

* * *

Nora sat in an open sitting room with Jane and Thor as Thor paced, worried for his brother. Odin had demanded that Nora and Jane were to stay there until further notice. They had also gotten word from Heimdall that he could not see the creature with his infinite gaze. The news didn't surprise Nora, if Heimdall could see the threat, he would've alerted them sooner.

Nora had been bustled into the sitting room by some guards after the library, and Jane soon followed. Thor and Frigga had grabbed Loki and helped him to his room, keeping him from sight as they went. Nora couldn't help but feel bad for Loki. He clearly didn't like being a Frost Giant, and Nora recalled Vie telling her of the hatred the Asgardians held for the race. It must be hard to be surrounded by people that would hate someone just because they were a different race. As she worried, she wished there was something she could do to help. Not just to help Loki, but to help the Asgardians find the creature. Thor was clearly upset by his restless pacing through the room.

"Shouldn't you get that checked out?" Jane asked Nora, pulling her from her thoughts. Nora looked down at her hand that was still covered in dried ink and a little blood. She had forgotten once again that she was injured, so she nodded at Jane. She didn't want it to get infected or something. Thor then told the guards to fetch a water basin for Nora to clean herself in. "So you said this creature was invisible?" Jane asked.

Nora nodded again. "Yeah, but sometimes you could almost see something from the corner of your eye, like a shimmering of sorts."

"Yes, I saw it, too," Thor agreed, crossing his arms as he paced.

"Shimmer? How so?" Jane was ever the one for information.

Nora pursed her mouth to the side in thought. "Kind of like heat on the pavement of a hot day. You almost have to be looking for it, or catch it at the right angle," Nora tried explaining.

"And you've never seen anything like this before?" Jane asked Thor as he paced. He merely shook his head. The guard came back with the water basin for Nora, and she had to scrub her hand almost raw to get all the ink off. Only after she was clean, could she see the small gashes on her palm from the glass. Thankfully they weren't that deep; just superficial. As she put the basin down, the large doors swung open and Odin came sweeping into the room, Frigga behind him.

"Any news, Father?" Thor demanded.

Odin shook his head, both frustrated and slightly weary. "No. No sign of the creature anywhere. It must be concealing itself once again, even I cannot sense it." Thor's shoulders fell slightly. Then Odin turned his piercing gaze back to Nora and Jane. "You two will be escorted to the Bifrost. Heimdall is already preparing for your travel," he commanded. Then he turned to Thor. "You will come with me." With that, Odin turned, his cape swishing as he left.

Thor hesitated for a moment until Frigga laid her hand on his shoulder. "Go, I'll make sure they are safe," she told him confidently. Thor nodded once, giving Jane and Nora a nod goodbye before he followed after Odin.

* * *

 **Hello all! Hope you liked the chapter! Please let me know what you guys think! I like hearing from you all! Some of you I've talked to, and some of you I haven't so it would be fantastic to hear some kind of feedback. Anyway, the other Avengers will be in this story in case you were wondering (I mean, how could I not put all of them in it? Really?).**

 **Also, I was thinking about doing a fun little chapter with Nora and some of the Avengers, so if any of you can think of some funny/silly situations Nora could get into that you'd like to read, let me know. The chapter isn't necessary, but it would be kind of a "waiting for some time to pass"/ thank you chapter to you guys. If I don't hear from some of you, then I'll just continue with what I've already got ready for future chapters. Anyway, fellow Loki lovers, I'm out! -K**


	7. Chapter 7

Loki paced in the darkened confines of his room. _Curse Odin!_ He was supposed to be the Allfather, all powerful, and he couldn't even change him back into his Asgardian appearance. He hated his cursed Jotun form! It meant nothing but trouble, and now he was strictly confined to his chambers. _Out of sight, out of mind,_ Loki's mind snarled viciously. He always seemed to be pushed to the side by Odin. Even with their fragile truce, they still didn't quite get along. They tolerated each other's presence, that was all. Loki knew in his heart that the only people that truly cared about him in this realm were his brother and mother. Two out of countless numbers.

Pivoting on his heel, he paced back to the other side of his room. He couldn't even sit on the large balcony attached to his room, less someone actually _see_ him like this. He was just supposed to hide away; Odin's little secret.

As he paced, he started to leave ice patterns on the floor. They only served to make him angrier; only served to show him the fundamental difference between himself and the very realm. He paused his pacing to scowl at the crawling patches of thin ice in disgust.

Absentmindedly, he fingered the hole in his shirts where the creature had stabbed him. _The nerve!_ The creature couldn't even show itself as it attacked him and the mortal. It was cloaked in some strange magic. It must have been. That was why he couldn't sense it as it practically stood next to him in the library, and was around for who knew how long. Even Heimdall couldn't see such a creature. Although, a fairly talented magic wielder could hide from the eyes of the Gatekeeper. One such as himself.

Bored once again, Loki started to pace around his room. The books he had scattered on his desks and stands had already been read and corrected by him several times within the last few weeks. He could practically recite the tomes by now. They would provide no distraction.

Soon, Loki could see small puffs of his breath in the air as he walked. Curse his Jotun form! He had no idea how to control it, which only aggravated him further. In a surge of anger, he let his magic burst from him, causing books and a stand to fall on the floor. The few lit candles in the room all blew out simultaneously. His magic was a bit difficult to wield in this form. The one thing he was good at, excelled at, and he couldn't even access it properly.

Letting out a deep sigh, he sat on the edge of his bed. Looking at his hands, Loki wanted to go out and hunt the creature. It was the reason he was stuck in his chambers!

 _"Loki you're blue!"_ he could hear the human's voice in his mind. He had been surprised to find there was no revulsion in her eyes at his form. Only shock, curiosity, and worry had clouded her eyes, all on display for him to see. She had been worried about him, and he couldn't figure out why. He could list most of the people who cared about him, in any of the realms, on his hands. It was strange coming from a human he had only met a few days ago. One that he had threatened, yet she had treated him like he was anyone else. She had yelled at him, and didn't back down from his little challenge in the library. He could only remember Stark treating him as such. Pepper was his friend, but he could tell that she sometimes didn't quite know what to say to him, or how to approach him if he was in a foul mood. He found the new mortal woman both incredibly irritating and refreshing at the same time.

Loki snorted as he remembered her dashing back into the library to check on him. Like a simple cut to his side would seriously harm him. She really didn't seem all too perturbed by him, and it puzzled him. Or perhaps he was used to the Asgardians still treating him like he was a stain upon Asgard. They wouldn't outright say anything to him, to his face. They preferred to whisper and start rumors of him behind his back, or when they thought they were alone or he was out of ear shot. He could still hear everything. Thor had been trying in his own way, and Loki loved him for it (not that he'd admit it), but everyone just treated him as if he were practically invisible, just like before Thor's would be coronation. Loki knew that it would take time to heal the damage he had caused, but he was starting to think that maybe it was futile.

He wouldn't sit in Asgard and stalk the shadows like he once did when he was younger. He refused to be placed in a shadow again!

A soft knock on his door interrupted his musings. He first thought it was his mother by the gentleness of the knock, but Thor's head soon peaked around the door as it opened slightly. Loki was surprised his brother could be so gentle. "Brother, do you fair well?" Thor asked, voice just as gentle as his knock.

Loki turned his head away from the lights in the hallway, his Jotun eyes seeing the light from the many lit torches in the hall more sharply. "Just get in here!" he snapped at Thor, angry that a little thing such as light would hurt his eyes, reminding him of what he was.

Thor smiled in empathy for him, understanding the root of Loki's anger and frustration. Thor seemed able to read him better lately. Loki wasn't sure if he liked it. "Has the poison wore off yet?" Thor asked peering into the darkness of the room as he shut the door.

Loki rolled his eyes as Thor looked in the wrong direction for him. Using a small tendril of magic, he lit a couple of the candles hanging on the walls, lighting the room enough for Thor to see. "Well, I'm not paralyzed anymore," Loki drawled, feigning nonchalance.

Thor saw right through it. "Brother," he sighed, moving to sit next to Loki on the edge of the bed. "You know I don't have a preference for your appearance. It matters not either way."

"To you perhaps," Loki returned, "I'm sure the rest of Asgard would not share your opinions."

Thor inhaled slowly, trying to gather his patience that Loki liked to test. "I would not be the only one to accept this form of yours."

"Mother does too, I know Thor. I'm no idiot-"

"I meant," Thor interrupted Loki, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Nora. She did not seem to mind at all. She seemed worried about you before she departed. She told me to tell you goodbye, and not to be a stranger."

Loki glanced at Thor sideways. "So you sent your friends away, finally?"

He nodded, his face becoming serious. "Yes. I do not wish them anymore harm from this creature, wherever it may be now. We know not where it's located, nor it's abilities other than it's knack for escaping detection. It seems no matter what methods we try, we can't locate it."

Loki nodded gravely, seeing Thor's frustration at letting the creature slip from his sight. "I could not sense it either. The human pointed it out that she could almost see it, but it attacked before I could find it properly." He had only been able to throw the dagger at the creature as it held the woman by her throat because he could see the ink splashed across its side. He'd give the mortal credit; she had managed to help them see the creature, if even for a short while. "So what are the current plans for locating it?"

"Keep a strict look out at all times. There will be guards posted almost everywhere. There is not much else we can do," Thor sighed, resigned. "We have send word to Alfheim, perhaps they have a spell or the magic to locate the creature."

Loki quirked an eyebrow up at Thor, as Thor looked at the wall in thought. Perhaps his brother had matured a little after all. A few years prior, Thor would have never asked for outside help with a problem. He would've charged head first into trouble, only dealing with the consequences later. He most certainly wouldn't have asked for magical assistance. "I hope they can help locate it quickly," Loki told him, lips forming into a smirk. "I want to kill it." He could just imagine snuffing the life from the wretched creature.

* * *

Tony rolled out from underneath one of his machines as he upgraded and tested different prototypes. "Jarvis, buddy, what happened to the music? I thought I said no interruptions," he called out, setting a couple tools next to him on the cool floor.

"Forgive me sir, but it appears there are large energy fluctuations on the roof. They are identical to those of the Bifrost, as Mr. Odinson has informed me," Jarvis answered.

Tony pushed the makeshift form for a new suit away as he looked up to the ceiling. "Goldilocks is back?"

There was a moment of silence. "No. It does not appear to be Mr. Odinson. It is two women. One appears to be Jane Foster."

"And the other?" Tony asked, pushing off his knees to stand. He started heading towards the stairs in his current workshop. _What's Jane doing here?_ he wondered. He hadn't seen her in a few months. Last he heard, she was halfway across the country doing her research.

"Unknown at the moment," Jarvis responded immediately.

"Thanks Jarvis," Tony smiled. "Ready the elevator for me, would ya?"

"Already done."

Tony just grinned as he walked up the stairs. He really was a genius. He made the fantastic choice to create Jarvis. Then again, most of his ideas were gold. Okay…. There was that time he may or may not have provoked Bruce into the Hulk. He was only having some fun on an otherwise boring day. And the Hulk had only destroyed one floor before he got tired. A few million dollars thrown at some contractors, and it was as good as new. Thankfully, it had been one of the lower levels that was going to be another lab for him to work in, and it hadn't been fully renovated before the rampage. He had wanted to redecorate anyway!

The elevator opened as he neared it and shut behind him, already prepared to go. The elevator dinged once it reached the roof and the doors opened. Sure enough, two women were slightly swaying on his roof in the detailed circular pattern the Bifrost always left behind. Before Pepper, Tony would have been thrilled to have two women on his roof. Man he had changed.

"Jane, that you?" Tony asked, calling across the short distance of the roof. His clothes billowed against his skin as he made his way over to the two. It was night time, the moon providing little light for him to see properly, but the building provided enough light behind him to see relatively well.

"Yeah…" Jane's voice called back as the light from the Bifrost vanished as quickly as it came. She seemed uncertain as she looked around, hair blowing crazily in the breeze.

"You guys alright?" Tony asked uncertainly as the two swayed a little again. Maybe jumping the rainbow messed with their equilibrium… He didn't know.

"Yes, yes, we're fine," Jane responded, standing straighter now. "I didn't know Heimdall was landing us here."

"Heim-a-who?" Tony asked, confused.

"Heimdall," Jane told him again, heading towards him. The other woman behind her quickly caught up after looking around quickly.

"Heimdall…" Tony muttered slowly. Where had he heard that name before?

"The gatekeeper for Asgard, sir," Jarvis provided.

"Right!" Tony snapped his fingers. Then he looked at the two. "So why did you two jump the rainbow?"

"Mind if we come inside?" Jane asked, giving him a tired smile. "I'll explain on the way."

"Sure," Tony shrugged, gesturing with his arm for them to proceed. Making their way to the elevator, Jane explained that they had been on a short trip to Asgard to visit Thor and the realm. Then they had been attacked by some invisible monster. Tony listened closely while Jane spoke. Well, almost closely. He may have been trying to figure out a way past S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new firewalls and security Fury had put into place after Tony's last visit. He couldn't help his brain from wandering. The story was boring. "So who's this?" he asked suddenly, accidently cutting Jane off mid sentence. Oops.

"I'm Nora, Mr. Stark. Nice to meet you," the other woman greeted, smiling kindly.

"Please, just Tony, or Stark even. Mr. Stark was my father, and I am by far cooler than my old man," Tony smirked easily. "Right Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir. You are most certainly _cool._ " If Tony didn't know better, he would've guess Jarvis just rolled his nonexistent eyes. When did he program Jarvis to be sarcastic? At Jarvis' voice, Nora looked around, confused.

"Jarvis is an AI Tony created," Jane explained to her. "Just think of him as a virtual butler of sorts."

"I do much more than that Ms. Foster."

Tony turned and pouted slightly at Jane. "Yeah, don't insult him like that." He was slightly protective of his creation. His friend.

Jane held back a sigh. "Sorry, Tony. Sorry Jarvis," Jane apologized.

"All is well, Ms. Foster."

Nora smiled at the ceiling.

"So Jane," Tony started, already over her offence to Jarvis. "Where's Darcy? You never bring her around anymore," he stated, looking at Nora. "What did you do, switch interns?" He really hoped she hadn't. Darcy was fun to have around.

Jane's eyes narrowed slightly. "The last time you and Darcy were together was a disaster!" she exclaimed. The elevator dinged while the doors opened to reveal a large living room and kitchen.

Tony huffed, rolling his eyes. "It was only one floor, jeez. You overreact just like Pepper." He made his way to the kitchen that was on the far wall of the room. "In our defense, we didn't mean to almost explode poor ol' Brucey. He just kind of stepped off the elevator at the wrong moment." Tony retrieved a glass and a large bottle of scotch from the glass shelves on the wall.

"Yeah, Tony, that's exactly what happened," Bruce's voice added sarcastically as he entered the room from the hallway near the elevator. "You needed my help at that _exact_ moment with the laser."

"Exactly!" Tony smiled triumphantly, raising his glass.

"I believe that was sarcasm the Green Giant has utilized, sir," Jarvis interjected.

Tony choked on his drink at the look on Bruce's face. He hit his chest a few times, trying to swallow right and prevent himself from coughing. "Really Tony?" Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "Green Giant?" Tony just shrugged and tipped the glass back, finishing his little bit of scotch.

"You're the Hulk!" a voice whispered quickly.

Tony looked over as Nora covered her mouth quickly, embarrassed. Then he looked to Bruce, who shifted nervously. "Uh, yes," Bruce replied awkwardly. Tony rolled his eyes again. He wished the guy would just accept being a giant rage monster. Seriously, it was cool! He was indestructible and could go toe to toe with gods and aliens. It was almost as cool as his suits.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that rudely at all!" Nora said, waving her hands in front of her.

"Don't worry," Bruce replied, a small smile forming on his face. Tony thought it looked a bit too self deprecating for his tastes. Sometimes, the man took himself too seriously. "I won't turn into the Other Guy so easily," Bruce forced a chuckle.

Despite Tony teasing Bruce, frequently, he didn't like for others to make the ever serene Bruce Banner uncomfortable. They were friends, and Tony protected those close to him. Besides, who else was he going to talk about science stuff with? No one else could keep up with him. Tony had seen the tabloids and interviews after Loki's attack, and even after a few other problems they had encountered afterwards. It seemed like more and more people were against them every day. Something about damages and being a risk… Tony usually tuned it out. But he knew it got to Bruce, how some people were afraid of the Hulk and the destruction he usually left behind. Tony opened his mouth to say something to the girl before she could give him _another_ complex, but she beat him to it.

"That's not what I meant at all!" Nora told him earnestly, shaking her head at Bruce's assumption. "I'm sorry you thought that."

Bruce ran a hand through his hair. "Guess I'm just used to the general public wanting me gone."

"Well, those who want you gone, can just shove off," the girl declared with conviction, making Tony raise an eyebrow at her in surprise. "Without you _or_ the Hulk, a lot of them would be dead anyway." Then she looked directly at him. "Thank you for being you, _and_ the Hulk."

Bruce stood there, momentarily in shock.

"See, Brucey?" Tony laughed while walking the few steps over to Bruce, throwing his arm around the man. "I told you not everyone was an idiot." Bruce merely shook his head, exasperated at Tony's outburst. Bruce could pretend all he wanted, but Tony could see the smile in the man's eyes. "I'm keeping you around kid," Tony smiled at Nora, letting go of Bruce. "You can be my replacement for Darcy, since Jane won't bring her 'round anymore."

"Well, Darcy _is_ my cousin," Nora told him.

Tony grinned, plans already forming in his head.

"Tony," Bruce sighed in warning.

"Don't get any ideas, Stark!" Jane demanded.

Tony continued to smirk. "Oh come on, I'm always full of ideas!" Some of his ideas may not be traditionally smart, but Tony wasn't traditional. He found his ideas exciting.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! This chapter is a little later than usual, but alas the real world and work kept me from posting sooner. Anyway, I hope you guys like it. Please leave me some kind of review or feedback! I've run into a writer's block wall and its a pain in the arse. Anything would be appreciated! You guys are awesome! -K**


	8. Chapter 8

Nora was sleeping peacefully, curled up into her cocoon of blankets and pillows. She was glad she got to sleep in past early morning. Between Vie, Loki, and not being able to sleep, it had been a few days since she just got to sleep in for the fun of it.

Taking a deep breath to yawn, Nora immediately sat up. She could smell smoke. "What's going on?" she mumbled to herself, dislodging from the covers.

"It seems Captain Spangles has burnt some toast again, Ms. Lewis," Jarvis's voice answered.

Nora couldn't help the grin pulling at her face. "Captain Spangles is Captain America, I'm assuming?" Tony's sense of humor was definitely out there.

"That is correct."

Nora rolled from the warmth of her bed and made her way into the hallway, heading for the main living room. She followed the smell of smoke as it got worse and entered the living room, finding a man fanning the toaster with his hands.

He turned, embarrassment clear on his face. "Sorry to wake you," he apologized, still fanning the air. "Tony messed with the settings on the toaster again."

Nora walked across the room to open a window. "It's okay. I'm Nora by the way," she greeted him.

"Steve. Steve Rogers," he nodded at her. "Tony told me you and Jane showed up last night." As he spoke, he deftly plucked the charred pieces of toast from the slots and threw them away. "Tony," he grumbled, shaking his head.

Nora chuckled, heading back over to the island in the kitchen. "Tony likes to pull pranks it seems."

She could've swore she saw the man's shoulders droop a little. "Yes. Usually at me and all of his technology. I am learning though. The things I do know how to use properly, he always messes with anyway." He fiddled with the heat settings until they were back to what he wanted.

Getting some milk from the fridge, Nora offered some to Steve, who nodded gratefully. As she passed him a glass, a woman with long red hair and business clothes walked in. She was holding a few files and a newspaper in her hands as she walked to the island. "Oh, you both are up already," she smiled, setting the bundle of files and papers on the counter. "I'm Pepper," she continued, walking to Nora to shake her hand gently. "Tony said that you and Jane were staying here for a couple days until Erik and Darcy get here. If there's anything you need, ask me or Jarvis for anything!"

Nora smiled and introduced herself. Pepper was a bit too chipper for her tastes so early in the morning. Pepper was definitely an early riser, unlike Nora. However, Pepper seemed nice. In fact, everyone she had met so far in the tower seemed like good people.

"Steve, Nora, do you want me to make you something for breakfast?" Pepper asked. "I've got some time before I have to leave."

Steve shook his head. "No thank you, toast is fine for now. I'll eat later," he replied, taking a spot at the small dining table next to the kitchen area.

"Nora?"

Nora shook her head. "I'll just make me some cereal when I wake up. Thanks though," she smiled.

Pepper grabbed her files and gave Steve the paper for the day. "Alright, guess I'll go in a bit early," Pepper said, still perfectly chipper. "I'll see you guys for dinner. If you see Tony, tell him I'd like to speak with him, please."

Steve chuckled under his breath while taking a sip from his cup. "Will do, Pepper. Good luck." Nora just waved as she left. After a few minutes of silence, Nora got up and made her a bowl of cereal and sat at the table with Steve. The two sat there in a comfortable silence as he read the paper and she ate. About the time Nora was finished with her food, Steve told her that he was going running and that he'd be back in a couple hours. Nora looked at him strangely at that. Who actually woke up early, and then wanted to go running? For a couple hours, no less? She had just shrugged and waved at him as he left.

Once she was alone, she wandered over to the couch to sit in front of the big TV on the wall.

"Where's the remote?" she asked to no one, looking around. She couldn't find any remotes on the table, so she tried flipping the cushions to find it.

"I'm afraid the remote was destroyed not long ago, Ms. Lewis," Jarvis told her. "I can control the television if you'd like."

"Oh," Nora muttered, fixing the couch. "Thanks Jarvis, and just call me Nora."

"Very well, Nora. Is there a preference for what you'd like to watch?"

"Hmmm…" she thought, sitting down on the couch. "A comedy movie please." She watched as the TV started to search for available movies. She really needed her own personal Jarvis. Maybe Tony would make her an AI of her own.

As she watched Jarvis look for movies for her, she looked around the large open room. Everything was so sleek and high-tech looking. Not to mention expensive. Was everyone she was going to meet and stay with have a high status and rich? First Thor, and now Tony.

Suddenly, something shimmered in the corner of her vision. Instantly alert, memories of Asgard running through her head, she looked over quickly. Her hair stood on end once again, sending a prickling sensation over her body.

That creature couldn't be here, could it? Did it follow them from Asgard?

After looking over, she instantly felt like an idiot. It was just the sheer curtain that was blowing slightly from the open window in the kitchen. She shook her head at herself. She really was a-

"Nora, would you please head downstairs for a moment?"

"Why, Jarvis?" Nora asked, face scrunching up curiously.

There was a suspicious split second of hesitation. "Mr. Stark would like to see you in the lab."

Nora narrowed her eyes. She didn't think that Tony would be up considering Jane's stories of him working endlessly through the night. Besides, what would he want with her if he was?

She froze for a second. Maybe she hadn't imagined the shimmer. Could Jarvis see it? _If_ it was the creature. Taking a shaky, yet deep breath, Nora stood and headed for the elevator.

"I would take-"

Before Jarvis could finish his sentence, Nora bumped into something out of nowhere. She inhaled shakily as she heard the eerie growl in front of her.

Damn, why her?

What should she do? Her mind was going blank with fear. Should she run? Surely the creature would catch her. Yet, just standing there wasn't going to help her. She could shout for someone; Surely, Tony or Bruce would hear her…maybe. Were they even within hearing distance, or on the level?

Her thoughts were silenced as a sharp and searing pain slashed across her left shoulder, down towards her ribs. The sudden blow knocked her back towards the kitchen island, mouth hung open in a gasp. She would've screamed, but her lungs weren't currently cooperating. After slumping against the bottom of the island, she looked down to see red everywhere. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it was her blood she was seeing, but the fact hadn't registered completely yet. Her brain was still trying to process that the creature was there in the tower.

Using her right arm, she grabbed the countertop and pulled herself up shakily. The creature let loose another growl as she heard scuffling against the floor. Darting around the island she grabbed a large knife from the holder next to the sink, brandishing it in front of her. She'd be damned if she went down without a fight. Even if she doubted she could hurt the thing.

Vaguely, she knew she had to do something (like pray for someone to help) before the pain set in.

"Jarvis?" she asked, keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of the creature. Before she got an answer, she noticed the shimmer again as large claw marks appeared on the floor. Reacting on instinct, Nora ducked behind the island. She watched as the cabinets to her left splinter inward as the creature must have leapt over the island to get her. Chunks of wood and powder exploded in a huge cloud as the creature fell to the floor.

Nora's eyes widened as she could finally make out what the creature looked like. It stood, hunched over and resting it's weight on its long arms. Its legs were slightly shorter than its arms and were bent outward slightly. Its shoulders were slender like she remembered, but its hands were enlarged down towards the sharp talons that currently scraped against the tile on the floor. Its head was long and narrowed, its mouth hanging open to reveal a few rows of sharp looking teeth. Ears were pressed back against its head. It was the strangest thing Nora had ever seen.

Baring its fangs at her, the creature lunged at Nora once again. She reared backwards, mindlessly holding the knife in front of her as she flinched. The creature landed on top of her, almost knocking the wind from her, as she felt the blade sink into its torso. The wound didn't seem to deter the creature as it backed up and shook itself, dislodging the knife from its body. She watched, horridly fascinated as the creature looked at the knife, momentarily distracted. Nora took the chance and sprinted towards the hallway.

"Tony!" she screamed. "Bruce!" Using her right hand, she used it to help her around the wall into the hallway, propelling herself forward. She felt an odd sense of déjà vu, remembering Asgard. She could hear the creature pursuing her almost instantly. As she ran, she felt the odd sensation of her skin pulling apart at her wound, and she was glad she couldn't feel the pain yet.

Coming to the end of a long hallway, Nora tried to bank to the left. She had almost made it, but she felt something sharp bite into her leg, pulling her backwards sharply. Instantly, her leg gave out, sending her crashing to the ground. She looked back quickly to see the creature had caught her right calf in its mouth. She tried scrambling for something she could use for leverage, but she found nothing.

She could only watch as she left bloody handprints on the floor as the creature dragged her backwards. Her vision started to blur as spots danced in her vision. A dulled roar echoed around her, but it sounded like it was at a distance. She could still _feel_ the creatures sharp teeth inside her leg as it dragged her. Not a moment later, though, the creature suddenly released her.

Laying on the floor for a moment, Nora rested her head on the floor. Maybe she should move now. She should try to get away… but she couldn't seem to find the energy to move and she felt so heavy! When did her body turn to lead?

Faintly, she realized she should probably be panicking, or at least calling for help and not just laying there. But an invading and overwhelming numbness had settled over her. She could no longer move her body, could no longer think clearly, could no longer hang on as she drifted away...

* * *

"Sir, Nora is being attacked and requires immediate assistance!"

Tony immediately bolted up from his bed as Jarvis sounded an alarm in the room and woke him up. _What the hell was going on?_

"Now!" Jarvis demanded again.

Tony threw the blankets back, shooting from the bed. His bedroom door opened itself as Tony ran into the hallway outside of his room. Turning right, Tony headed for the stairs to the lower floors. "What's going on Jarvis?" Tony demanded as he ran down the stairs.

"There is some alien creature attacking," Jarvis explained.

 _Of course there is,_ he thought, running to the room with his suit ready to go. _Phew!_ He panted. Maybe he'd take Spangles up on his offer to exercise. He was getting out of shape!

Entering the room, Tony gave silent commands in his actions as the suit purred to life and zoomed towards him, opening down the middle as it flew at him. The suit wrapped around him like a glove, all the mechanical parts forming back together seamlessly. The control system whirred to life in front of his eyes.

"Where at Jarvis?" he demanded, flying from the room quickly.

"Main floor hallway. I would encourage haste."

"You said it was an alien? How did it get in?" Tony asked, zooming up the floors through the stairwells.

"I do not know. I could not see it until it left scratches on the floor. It is now covered in flour from the kitchen pantry."

In response, Tony upped the thrusters, moving faster up the stairwell. Finally making it to the main level, Tony burst through the door leading into the hallway near the elevator. He flew forward and looked into the living area quickly. He tried not to be disturbed by what he saw… but God that was a lot of blood!

"In the hallway-"

Jarvis was cut off by an earth shaking roar that echoed in Tony's ears even through the suit. Damn, even the big guy had beaten him up here. Flying down the hallway he rounded a corner, and quickly sidestepped as a large _something_ came flying at him.

"What the hell was that?" Tony muttered, looking back as it flew through the air. "What kind of alien is that?"

Suddenly, a huge green body shot past Tony as he stood there momentarily caught off guard by trying to figure out what he was seeing.

"Dr. Banner has the creature taken care of. Nora requires immediate medical attention."

Tony turned quickly on his heel, flying further down the hallway again, quickly coming to Nora's still form laying there.

 _So much blood…_

 _This is no time to freeze, idiot!_ he cursed at himself. "Diagnosis Jarvis!"

"Multiple lacerations across her left side, and punctures in her right leg," Jarvis immediately answered. "She's lost a nearly significant amount of blood."

 _Crap, she looks bad!_ Tony thought, turning her over slowly and carefully. Blood was smeared over her side, dripping to the floor from her shoulder. The large gashes were cleanly sliced into her skin, and not jagged like Tony expected. "Jarvis, get a S.H.I.E.L.D. doctor here now!"

Jarvis went silent for a moment as he followed the command. "Fury is sending one now. It will be roughly thirty minutes before they arrive though. I am not positive that Nora will-"

"I know!" Tony shouted frustrated. He was supposed to be a genius, but his medical knowledge seemed to be severely lacking at the moment. He knew he had to at least try to staunch he bleeding. He commanded Jarvis to control the suit, leaving Tony to kneel on the floor. "Get some towels, or blankets, or something Jarvis." The suit immediately took off down the hallway in the opposite direction. Tony felt a sliver of pride at his handiwork. His suits had come a long way since his first makeshift creation in the caves.

A sudden thud next to him made Tony turn at attention. The Hulk had the unmoving alien dropped into a heap on the ground. Faint purple liquid formed a small puddle around its body.

"Smash it once for me, would ya?" Tony asked, eyes narrowed at the powdered covered creature. The Hulk bared his teeth in an almost smirk as he smashed his huge fist into the creature hard enough to dent the floor slightly.

"Jarvis where's my-"

Before he could finish yelling, the suit came back into view carrying bundles of towels in its arms. Tony immediately grabbed them and pressed them against Nora's shoulder. He then let out a vicious curse as the towels almost immediately soaked through. He just added another layer, keeping a steady pressure on the wound.

The Hulk moved closer, surprisingly slow. If Tony wasn't mistaken, he could see concern in the big guy's eyes.

"Hey, any way you can bring the doctor back? He'd know what to do. Or at least, he could help apply pressure," Tony asked, trying for an air of nonchalance. Truth was, he was two seconds away from freaking out if the shaking of his hands were any indication.

The Hulk hit his fist on the floor in a display of his strength.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know you're strong enough, but you're _too_ strong. Do you want to hurt her?"

He glared at Tony, seemingly insulted, large hands pushing against the floor again. Then he smashed his fist into the creature again before he inhaled deeply and closed his eyes.

Tony wasn't sure if the Hulk understood him, but he had to give Bruce props. He had somehow learned to partially control his other half. Tony watched in amazement as the Hulk slowly leaned forward and began to shrink, muscles popping and cracking painfully. In a few seconds, Bruce laid there against the floor on his stomach. Tony yelled for the man for a solid minute before the man started to groan and wake up. Infuriatingly slow, Bruce managed to push himself up onto his hands and knees, looking through squinted eyes around him.

Tony cursed, trying to hold himself back from shouting at the man to hurry up and gather himself. Tony knew it took a lot out of him, and Tony was just surprised that Bruce was up so quickly. It usually took him hours to wake up once he changed back.

"Nora," Bruce coughed, managing to push himself up, clinging to the tattered remains of his clothes.

"She's still breathing," Tony told Bruce as he knelt next down on her other side. "Her pulse is getting weak though."

Bruce nodded, quickly, trying to shake the after-effects of transforming from his mind. It was always difficult to concentrate after he woke up and his whole body ached. He checked her for any other injuries, but soon focused on her shoulder as it was the only serious wound he found.

"Jesus," Tony muttered, looking around the hallway at the smears against the floor. There was blood everywhere! He wasn't even injured and yet his forearms were covered already. He wasn't used to blood! And the smell… It left a horrible taste in his mouth he didn't think he'd ever forget.

"Breathe, Tony," Bruce told him calmly, yet stern. "You called an actual doctor right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Tony mumbled, nodding his head. "They should be here soon. I had Jarvis call S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Good job," Bruce tried to smile at the man. He didn't need Tony having an attack right now. He had to keep him talking, keep him level headed. He needed to keep himself level headed. But in the back of his mind, he could still hear Nora's screams. He had been sound asleep after Tony kept him up half the night helping him with a prototype for a new suit, and asking his opinions on certain projects. At the screaming, Bruce had been jolted awake and was transforming into the Other Guy in seconds. _Record timing,_ he thought wryly to himself.

He kept Tony focused on the task at hand as they waited for S.H.I.E.L.D. to show up.

* * *

 **Well there you go! I hope you guys liked it! I wanted to give a** **giant thank you to CommanderOfMurders for helping me! I think I've written about two chapters within the last day after your help.**

 **Also, it was pointed out that I haven't really described Nora's appearance at all. That was intentional on my part. I was giving you as the readers creative freedom for her appearance. I didn't want her to be limited by my imagination. But if you'd like for me to give a description, I'd be more than happy to!**

 **Alright, Loki lovers. Please let me know what you think! It's always nice to hear from you! -K**


	9. Chapter 9

It had been four days. Four days since the creature attacked. Four days of searching tirelessly. Four days of Loki being stuck inside his cursed bedroom! He was going to go mad if he spent another day in the stone prison he had once found comfort in. He used to be able to come to his room if no one wanted him hanging around or if he got into trouble (which was most of the time). He had found comfort in the fact that he had a room that was purely his. It was draped in the colors he liked and the tomes he enjoyed. He didn't have to share this space with Thor. It had been the one thing that was _his_.

Now it was his prison.

Most of the room was covered in a thin layer of ice from his agitation, which only served to irritate him more. Not to mention he had to cover his large balcony door as the sun rose, his Jotun body unused to the heat from the sun. What was a small change in temperature, sometimes felt like he was standing next to a raging fire.

The only end to the monotony was when his mother or brother came to visit him. They brought him food and tried to distract him with new books and news of the creature. But the distractions were fleeting.

He had counted every stone, every crack in the walls, anything and everything that could prove time consuming. There was nothing left to occupy himself. His mother hadn't visited in a day. Thor had been away for a couple days, and he was starting to worry. Thor would come by so many times that Loki almost thought about locking his brother out. Almost, even though he knew he would never do so. He couldn't afford to keep one of his only two visitors out.

Through the dull nothingness and boredom, Loki discovered he could tap into his Jotun magic. While he detested everything about it, his curiosity and desperate need for something to do outweighed his hate; if only for a short while. He found he could summon ice in his hands, forming the ice to whatever shape he saw fit. While still crude in its shape, he could make replicas of large Jotun ice daggers. Then, once his hate resurfaced, he found that the ice shapes would shatter into tiny flakes and disappear from existence once flung against the wall.

Seriously, where was Thor? The one time he wanted his brother around, he decided to vanish. Something must have happened…

A small knock on his door stole his focus. He reigned in his excitement, having the ridiculous urge to rush to his chamber doors to see who it was.

"Sweetheart, are you awake?" his mother's voice called quietly.

Only years of him learning to hide his emotions kept him from smiling like an idiot. Finally, someone was here to speak to him. Someone _wanted_ to speak to him. "Yes, Mother," Loki answered, feigning nonchalance. He was surprised: He sounded convincing, even to himself.

She walked inside his room, making sure the door opened just enough for her to enter. She was still paranoid that someone would discover his form if they walked by in the hall. Loki knew she did so out of her unwavering love, but he still felt like the shameful secret of the family. Once she entered, she gave him an understanding smile as she shut the door. Frigga went to him and pulled him into a careful hug, avoiding any skin contact.

"Have you gone mad yet, being stuck in here?" she asked with a knowing smile, putting him at arms length to look at him.

"Fairly close. It's been two days since Thor has visited me," Loki sighed. "And you've been away as well." Frigga didn't respond right away, and an odd look passed over her features. "What is it?" he asked.

Her mouth tightened fractionally. "There are…difficulties arising." Loki gave her an inquisitive look, encouraging her to continue. "It seems that the realm of Nidavellir is at odds with Niflheim."

"How so?" Loki asked. He couldn't say that he particularly cared for Nidavellir and the dwarves, or the Ice Giants of Niflheim, but it served as a distraction.

"They have found ways into Niflheim, and the situation is getting tense. I fear that war between the realms will break out," Frigga worried. She went to sit on a nearby chair.

"I see," Loki said vaguely, wondering how they had discovered portals across realms, and what had caused the sudden fighting. Most realms had their secret portals and passageways into each other, but most of them were hidden or difficult to access.

"Odin has been trying to settle the situation diplomatically, but so far his efforts have been in vain. He has sent your brother to Nidavellir for the moment to inspect the situation more closely," Frigga continued. An immeasurable weight seemed to weigh on the woman, and Loki felt pangs of regret for his mother. Loki went to place his hand on her shoulder to comfort her before snatching his hand back quickly. He didn't wish to harm her. Instead, Loki just looked towards the large curtain covering his balcony door. He didn't know how to ease his mother's worry, nor what he could to do help in any way. He felt useless.

Frigga looked over towards the balcony door too, before rising from the chair. "I will let you rest. It is nearly dawn," she told him, wrapping him in a hug once more. "I shall return later this evening."

Asking his mother to stay hovered at the edge of his tongue. He did not wish to be left alone again. Instead, he nodded solemnly and bid his mother goodnight.

* * *

Odin stood in the large receiving room, his mind wandering to the rising chaos between the realms. He was in a very peculiar position. How was he supposed to choose which realm to help when he was supposed to help them all? Appeasing both sides was impossible; nothing Odin had suggested had worked out. He was in a difficult position, indeed. If he chose to help one realm, he'd make new enemies of the other. Not to mention he was still talking with the elves for their help in locating the creature.

Suddenly, the doors to the room opened quickly, producing a stumbling Loki and Thor behind him.

"I brought him, Father," Thor announced, shutting the doors behind him. "No one saw us, although _someone_ was uncooperative."

Odin watched as Loki straightened himself and huffed at Thor. "Well, stealing me away in the middle of the night is hardly exciting. Especially with no explanation."

Odin repressed the long-suffering sigh that threatened to escape him. Could Loki not take anything seriously? "Enough," Odin demanded quietly as the two started arguing, his voice reverberating around the room. His sons turned to look at him.

Loki studied Odin carefully. "So, the Allfather has finally decided to see me. Should I consider myself lucky?"

"Loki," Odin warned sternly. He currently didn't have the time or patience to deal with his son. Odin wanted to praise the Norns when Loki became quiet. "You are to be transported to Midgard immediately." There was no point or purpose to evading the situation at hand. Best to get it out in the open.

A few seconds of silence ensued.

Thor shifted uncomfortably.

"Why?" came Loki's surprisingly calm response.

A sliver of hope made its way through Odin. Perhaps he'd get through this encounter without an emotional outburst from his son. "In our current predicament between the realms, there has also been talk and concerns among our people. We still cannot find the creature that infiltrated Asgard, and many speculate that you were responsible," Odin explained concisely, face remaining stern. If the rumors were true…

Loki blinked a few times, letting the information sink in.

"Brother?" Thor asked, placing a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"And you believe them true?" Loki asked, eyes narrowed levelly at Odin.

Odin remained silent. He hadn't thought Loki would do such a thing, but he had thought that before only to be wrong. He couldn't take the chance right now. He was stretched too thin without Loki causing problems. "You are to remain on Midgard until I call for you, or the situation desists. With you gone, the people will be unable to place blame upon you if there is any more attacks or incidents." Odin would give his son the benefit of the doubt; they did have their truce, fragile as it may be.

He watched, seemingly detached, as Loki's eyes shone with rising anger. Those red eyes made Odin feel a twinge of uneasiness. They were the eyes of his once greatest foe; but they were also the eyes of a boy Odin had taken in.

"Brother, I will take you to Stark's fortress-"

"No, Thor," Odin demanded. "You are needed elsewhere. You must return to Nidavellir."

"But Father-"

"No!" Odin shouted, hitting his staff on the ground. "You have a responsibility to the safety of the realms. Loki will be fine on Midgard. Your Midgardian allies will take him in, correct?"

"Yes," Thor replied, still looking between Loki and Odin. "But-"

"It's alright, Thor," Loki said quietly.

Odin looked at his son in surprise. He had expected much more difficulty from him. Was he scheming once more? Or had he matured a little?

"I will be fine, Brother. The Allfather is useless in changing my form back, and I do not wish to rot away in a room," Loki continued with a superior tone. Odin ignored the insult. "When am I to leave?" Loki asked.

"As soon as we're done here," Odin responded. He didn't have much more time to waste here. He was to meet with the leaders of the realms soon. Ymir was being especially difficult. He heard Loki mutter something sarcastic under his breath as he turned to leave, Thor following after him. Odin heaved a heavy sigh now; he knew that Loki would see his being sent to Midgard as another temporary banishment of sorts. He had behaved relatively well since his return a few months ago, much to Odin's surprise. Loki had stayed out of Odin's business, therefore Odin had left him alone. Whatever magic had turned him back to his Jotun form ultimately troubled Odin. It was unlike any he had ever experienced. Except once, but it had felt slightly different at the time. But that was centuries ago, long before he had Thor, or found Loki abandoned.

There was more going on than Odin knew, and it worried him. However, he would deal with the problems in front of him, as was the way of a king. He could afford no distractions.

* * *

Loki felt the pressure of the Bifrost push against him as he fell through space. This time travelling seemed more rough than what he was used to; he was certain it was Heimdall getting back at him in some small manor. Loki hit the roof of Stark Tower hard, his legs burning and teeth rattling. He shot a dirty look up at the sky, lowering his magical shielding for just a moment, letting Heimdall see his annoyance at the Gatekeeper. He could practically feel the man's smirk in response as he cloaked himself once again. He was glad he could still conceal himself; it would annoy the Gatekeeper.

Loki tried to straighten his clothes to appear more dignified, as he should be. He made sure his thin gloves were on tight, fitting to him like a second skin. Then he ran his fingers over his new bracelets.

 _"Here, my son. I crafted these for you myself," Frigga had smiled triumphantly. At this, she produced two thick bracelets and handed them over. "I could not figure a way to counteract what magic has befallen you, but these will at least give your appearance back if you wish." Then she gave him a tightened smile. "You will still need to keep away from actual physical contact though. You will still be in your Jotun form. The bracelets are merely a projection should you require it."_

 _Loki gripped the bracelets in his hands. His mother had gone through a lot of trouble. For him. He could feel his mother's magic radiate from the small cuff-like bracelets. It made him feel inexplicably warm. "Thank you, mother."_

He didn't have the bracelets for two minutes before he had put them on above his wrists. At least they had allowed him to travel to the Bifrost in the open. Unlike his father's bracelets of obedience, his mother's were made from care and love.

Loki made his way across the roof, looking over at the city lights, and entered the elevator.

"Hello, Loki."

"Hello, Jarvis," Loki replied, smiling faintly. He got a warmer welcome from a being that did not physically exist than he usually did on Asgard. He could feel the elevator descend as Jarvis controlled the elevator without instruction.

"Where are you taking me?" Loki asked suddenly, watching the flashing numbers. They were past where he usually resided.

"Mr. Stark wishes to see you immediately."

 _Odd,_ Loki thought. Then again, Stark usually was. Still, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of dread worm its way through him. Did he overstep some boundary by not sending word before his arrival? They welcomed Thor easily enough, but he was not Thor. Would they house him again?

The elevator stopped and opened slowly. The doors opened to reveal a large room filled with machines and a strange blocked off area to his right. He watched as Stark, Steve, and Bruce turned to him quickly as he stepped off the elevator.

"Tell me you didn't know about this!" Stark suddenly demanded, eyes flashing angrily. "You cannot just pawn your problems off on us and then not answer any of our calls."

Loki paused, mid-step. What was Stark going on about? "I cannot say I know what nonsense you're talking about, Stark. An explanation should be in order before you start accusing me, or perhaps even a greeting," Loki replied smoothly, hiding his building anger. It seemed he was always getting blamed for something. First Asgard thinking he would try and attack his home (albeit again) and himself. Like he would use such an obvious trick again if he were trying to steal the throne. Not that he could voice those particular thoughts out loud on Asgard. He was getting tired of being the easy scapegoat when something inconvenient happened.

"The creature you got attacked by, the one that was after you and Nora," Stark continued, waving his arms about angrily. "Well, you let it through to here! It damn near killed Nora the other day!"

That halted Loki's anger for a moment. The creature was on Midgard? Was that why it couldn't be found in Asgard? It wasn't even in the realm anymore.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Stark demanded, taking angry steps towards Loki.

Before he made it a few steps, the Captain was there, pulling him back. "Calm down, Tony," he ordered gently, but with no less commanding force behind his words. The doctor just stood to the side rubbing at his temples. "Did you know about this?" the blond asked Loki calmly.

Out of habit, Loki almost replied with some sarcastic retort, but he held his tongue. These were his allies, friendly acquaintances. They were not Odin and his accusing words. "No, I did not. I do not know what it is you're talking about."

"See, Tony. He doesn't know," Steve told the man, letting him go.

Stark seemed to deflate slightly, the anger leaving him. Then he looked at Loki. "Sorry, alright? I'm just a bit tense, I guess."

Loki nodded his acceptance of the offered apology. "What happened?"

The three of them didn't seem to know what to say, so Stark grabbed a large, black plastic rectangle from one of the nearby tables. A tablet, Loki had thought they were called. Stark tapped on it, bringing it to life. After a few swipes, he handed it to Loki. Curious, Loki looked at it, seeing a vision of the man's living area. He watched as the Captain and the woman sat at the table eating, before the Captain left. He watched as the woman walked to the couch, flipping the couch cushions haphazardly. Then she looked up at the ceiling, mouth moving but producing no sound.

"Is there no sound on your technology?" Loki asked, watching as the woman fixed the couch, still talking silently. He assumed it was Jarvis she was talking to. He could have swore these things had sound the last time he had used one.

A shudder shook Stark's frame and Loki hit the button he had been taught to stop the video momentarily. "I-I can't hear it again," Stark muttered, looking away.

"Me either," the doctor finally spoke up.

The Captain just looked away.

"If you want sound, I'll give you head phones but…" Stark told him. Then he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I need a drink." Then he headed for the elevator.

The doctor rubbed the back of his neck. "And I need some sleep. I'll see you guys tomorrow." With that, he left as well, leaving Loki and Steve in the room.

"Did they leave because I arrived?" Loki wondered quietly, more to himself than anything. It wouldn't be the first time someone had left his presence.

It seemed the Captain had heard him though. "No, it's not that. We've all been a little stressed. That thing attacked Nora and she's… not doing so well. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been here, trying to help. We tried calling for your Gatekeeper for a while, but there was never a response." A slightly haunted look had entered the Captain's eyes. "Watch the video. I'll be upstairs in the kitchen. You remember the way?"

Loki nodded once, and the Captain left as well. Once the man left, Loki resumed the video, curious. Surveying the selection of options, he clicked on them until the sound finally turned on. Loki watched closely as the human talked to the voice; watched as she stood to leave tensely. He watched as her shoulder was suddenly slashed open. The terror on the woman's face, the way she tried to fight back. He listened to the pain-filled screams. Eyed the bloody hand prints she left as the creature dragged her.

He understood now why Stark has looked sick at the mentioning of what happened. Loki had been in plenty of battles; he and vicious wounds were no strangers. But the screams… there was something eerie and chilling about the screams. For a split second, they had reminded him of his own when he was trapped inside the void-

No!

He hadn't thought about that hell in a long time, and he wouldn't start now.

He set the device down on a nearby table and went to return to the elevator. It was then he saw the alien creature inside the blocked off area he had passed when he entered. He hadn't paid it any attention before. He did now. The creature was entrapped in a large container with a thick glass wall between it and Loki.

Summoning what magic he had, he reached out a hand. The creature let loose a low whine as it fell to the floor, writhing.

This was the creature that was responsible for changing him back into a Jotun. The reason he was back on Midgard, and not at his home, no matter how much he still didn't quite fit in. This creature stood in his way, and that was a very, very bad place to be.

* * *

 **Dun dun duuuuuuun...**

 **So I started to touch on some of the other realms in the story; If any of you want some extra info, or got confused, just send me a message or let me know. I'd be happy to help!**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to say a HUMONGOUS thank you to everyone who's followed and faved or even read this story! It makes me smile each time I see another person who followed/faved, or saw the number of views go up. The views are over a thousand! A thousand! I'm smiling right now as I think about it. It's crazy for me to think about; and the fact that people over the world are reading this... My brain can't fully comprehend how awesome it is.**

 **Pretty, pretty please leave a review! Whoever does can have a cookie of their choosing! Or any other incentive of their choice... but who could turn down cookies? They're delicious. -K**


	10. Chapter 10

Steve sat at the kitchen island next to Tony who was, once again, drinking. He'd give Tony credit though, he hadn't even finished a bottle yet. He envied the man's ability to dull the feelings of helplessness, of regret. Steve had no such luck. He was stuck with his guilt pressing down on him. He had only been gone for ten minutes before the thing had attacked. If he hadn't gone running, he could've helped Nora. He hadn't known the woman for more than an hour, but there was something oddly endearing about her. And she hadn't mocked him over the toaster incident, unlike the man sitting next to him.

The elevator dinged, revealing Loki. Steve worried slightly at the small glint in his eyes. He knew Loki wasn't evil anymore, but Steve just never really knew what was going on inside Loki's head. "Did you watch it?" Steve asked, trying to fill the stifling silence with conversation.

"Yes," Loki replied. "I left the device downstairs."

Steve nodded once when Loki didn't continue. _So much for conversation_ , he thought. He wondered what the demi-god thought about it, but knew better than to ask.

"So what's happening on Asgard?" Tony suddenly asked, changing the topic. "Anything exciting?"

"If you call potential war looming over it, then yes," Loki replied sarcastically. "Exciting."

Tony raised his arms in surrender. "No need for the sarcasm Lokster. We haven't talked in months, there's no way I'd know. I'm good, but I'm not psychic."

An odd look passed over Loki's face at "Lokster", but then he exhaled slowly. "Forgive me, I am irritable. Is your offer for a place to stay still available to me? It appears I will be remaining here indefinitely."

Tony straightened and pursed his lips. "Did Odin banish you _again_?" There was a moment of silence before Tony muttered, "Harsh."

"It appears that the Asgardian people believe me responsible for the creature's attack," Loki commented off-handedly.

"But weren't you attacked, too?" Tony asked.

"Yes. That doesn't seem to be an issue." Loki then looked at Tony closely. "How did you know of the attack?"

"Jane told me when they arrived from the rainbow bridge, and Nora filled in some extra details," Tony explained, taking the final drink from his glass. Then he raised it towards Loki. "Want one?"

Loki shook his head, eyeing the glass.

"Aww, don't make me drink alone," Tony pouted.

"Hasn't stopped you before," Steve muttered under his breath, shaking his head slightly.

Steve watched as Tony walked over towards Loki. "Come on, the good ol' Captain won't drink with me, and neither will Bruce." Tony went to nudge Loki with his elbow, trying to goad him into drinking, when Loki suddenly sidestepped away. Tony gave Loki a suspicious and quick once over. "Catch!" Tony called as he suddenly threw his empty glass at the man.

Surprise flitted across Loki's face as he caught the glass reflexively. That's when Steve noticed the gloves. He knew Loki only wore gloves when he had been blue and unintentionally freezing everything he touched. Steve hadn't paid much attention before when he saw Loki for the few moments downstairs. He appeared normal though…

Tony openly gaped at Loki, piecing together the same information, and Steve shook his head at Tony once more. Sometimes Tony wouldn't know tact if he created himself in his workshops.

Loki instantly put the glass down on the table and clenched his fists, looking away angrily. It seemed he still didn't like that part of himself. Steve felt bad for the guy.

"Did you go all Avatar again?" Tony asked, cocking his head. "But you look normal. Well, normal-ish," he amended with a shrug of his shoulder and a roll of his eyes.

"Avatar?" Loki asked, confused at Tony's phrase. For once, Steve knew what Tony was trying to say. Tony had made him watch that movie a couple months ago. Why the man couldn't just say what he meant, Steve would never know. "I thought the mortals told you what had transpired?"

"Nora explained that you two got attacked. She didn't say you went Smurf again." Then Tony smirked. "So Nora knows you're blue and kept it a secret, how cute!" Loki's eyes flashed dangerously, and Steve put his head in his hand. Apparently, any shred of tact was being thrown out the window.

"Oh, don't look so murderous!" Tony smirked still. "You have another friend. Now you can leave Pepper alone."

"And where is Pepper, Stark? Doing your work for you still? What kind of mortal man let's his woman do all the work for him?" Loki smarted back. Steve didn't miss the glimmer of enjoyment in Loki's eyes as the two argued back and forth. Tony even seemed to be enjoying himself, too. Heck, even Steve was momentarily (and happily) distracted from the tense situation, if even for a few minutes.

* * *

Loki watched the bright city below him through the large window. Once again, he was left alone while the others rested, but he wasn't as restless as he was on Asgard. He was allowed the freedom to roam Stark's fortress as he wanted. Midgard was very different than Asgard. The heroes knew what he was, and what he had done, and they didn't seem to mind. Stark even teased him about it from time to time. The man had a certain way of annoying Loki to no end, yet part of him was glad that someone wasn't afraid to argue with him. The Asgardians never took the time to do anything but glare in his direction or ignore him entirely. At least, when they weren't spouting rumors.

He had already tried calling for Heimdall, to tell him of the creature's capture, but he received no answer. Not that he expected any less from the Gatekeeper. Loki only hoped the man would inform the Allfather of the situation, then maybe he could return to the realm. It may not be his favorite place to be, but it was his home.

"Jarvis?" Loki tested, looking up at the ceiling.

"Yes, Loki?"

"Where is the human woman?"

"Are you referring to Nora?"

"Yes," Loki answered.

"She is in one of the labs that S.H.I.E.L.D. has transformed into a hospital room. Would you like to visit her?"

Loki nodded, then headed towards the elevator as it opened across the room. He didn't particularly care for the woman, nor did he dislike her. Which, for him, was quite a feat. He held a general dislike for people. Most who knew him, judged him immediately, yet the woman had not. Then again, she didn't know the depths of all his mistakes. But she had asked him of his past. He couldn't recall the last person who _asked_ him his side of things. He supposed that at least warranted a quick visit.

The elevator descended once again, opening on a level near the middle of the tower. Thankfully, this hallway was not overly lit with unnecessary lights. While he had somewhat adjusted to his sharper eyesight, bright lights still hurt his eyes. The short hallway lead to another large empty room, filled only with a bed with tiny walls on the side, a few chairs, a nightstand, and some beeping machines. A small lamp was lit on the nightstand, giving him a clear view of the unconscious figure in the bed.

The woman was abnormally pale and rasping for each breath. He could see parts of the bandages wrapped around her underneath the dark tank top she was in.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked from behind him.

He wanted to curse his form once again. With his limited magic, he was still finding it difficult to sense others like he was used to. Turning, he saw Thor's woman and another mortal woman next to her. He didn't see a need to explain his presence, so he didn't.

"Why aren't you on Asgard, Loki?" Thor's woman asked again, only a mild distaste for him in her voice.

"Wait, _that_ is Loki? The deranged psychopath who tried to take over New York?" the other woman asked, squinting at him through her glasses. Darcy, he believed her name was.

Loki looked at the woman, grinning slightly maniacally.

She walked up to him and looked him up and down, before looking at him square in the eyes. "So you saved her in Asgard?"

Loki lost the grin he had. He wasn't expecting that. Threats, accusations, anything else really. He had even come up with a variety of snarky comebacks to a number of things she could've said. "Yes…" he responded, almost sounding like a question.

Darcy looked to her cousin and sighed heavily. "Not that it did much good in the end, thank you for helping her."

Loki looked at the woman in confusion. She was thanking him? He wasn't used to getting thanked for anything. Darcy made her way towards one of the chairs and sat down, while he just stood there momentarily unsure what to do.

"Did Thor come with you?" Jane asked him, oddly normal sounding.

He saw none of the usual scathing looks he got from her, and he got suspicious. "No," he answered, wondering what caused her shift in attitude. She looked mildly disappointed, but she nodded like she had expected the answer. Then she walked past him to the other woman, putting a hand on her shoulder. Loki knew when he wasn't wanted around, so he turned and walked back towards the elevator.

* * *

Tony rolled to his side, stretching his muscles. He had Jarvis block any sunlight from filtering into the room. Tentatively, he reached out to his right, feeling for Pepper. He didn't want to wake her, but he needed to feel her next to him as he curled himself around all her covers. She mumbled something in her sleep, but instantly snuggled against him.

He tightened his arms around her fractionally. It could've been her that had been attacked that day. It could've been her screams that haunted his mind. He wasn't glad Nora had got attacked, not at all. He had liked the girl when she had talked to Bruce like Tony did; like Bruce was any other person. She seemed nice enough all around. But he was still glad it wasn't Pepper laying in that makeshift hospital room right then.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had been able to patch Nora up the best they could, which was a damn good job in Tony's opinion. She had lost dangerous amounts of blood, and for the past couple days, she had been fighting a dangerously high fever.

It hadn't been pleasant, breaking the news to Jane, Darcy, and Erik when they had arrived. Darcy was the worst to face. She had gone still, then almost scary quiet, and then she had exploded. Immediately she demanded to see Nora and the doctors. Tony had showed her the way and tried to explain (surprisingly tactful) what happened, but he refused to show her the video footage. No matter how many times Darcy threatened his genitals.

* * *

Bruce sighed in frustration as he stood in Nora's would-be hospital room. Of course, some of his frustration came from Tony, who was pacing behind him relentlessly. Maybe he could teach Tony some mediation techniques so the man wouldn't drive Bruce into insanity.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. doctors were checking on Nora again. They were trying to cool Nora's body down. While her near life threatening fever had broke, her body was still clinging to a medium grade fever that wouldn't seem to break. Tony had the air conditioning in the room lowered, but it hadn't seemed to be doing anything for her. The doctors were fussing over the unconscious woman, checking her vitals. Personally, Bruce thought they were moving at an infuriatingly slow rate. He had done blood work and searched for a cure, while on the run, quicker than the two doctors seemed to be moving.

Listening to Tony's shuffling footsteps quickly ate up what little patience Bruce had, so he turned and headed back towards the elevator. Unfortunately, Tony followed him.

"Seriously, can't they just put her in an ice bath or something?" Tony complained, crossing his arms as the elevator shut.

"No, Tony," Bruce told him, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was starting to get a headache. Tony made a harsh noise of frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. Bruce understood that Tony was stressed and felt useless. He did too. Jane and Darcy had been pushed away from Nora's room by the S.H.I.E.L.D. doctors enough times, that they knew they wouldn't get to see Nora until later in the night, when the doctors would leave.

Which should be…

The elevator door opened, revealing Darcy standing there

…Right about now.

"The doctors still down there?" she demanded.

Bruce nodded. "They're still trying to cool her down. She's still got a fever, even if it is a low one."

Darcy nodded, and moved out of the way so Tony and him could leave the elevator. Tony made a beeline for Pepper, who was talking to Jane on the couch.

"Tony, when were you going to tell me Loki was here?" Jane asked, turning to look at him as he sat on the arm of the chair Pepper was sitting in.

"Loki's here?" Pepper asked, scrunching her face slightly.

Tony looked a little caught off guard as both women looked at him. "Well, he got here last night. Pep, you were already asleep. Jane, you and Darcy hadn't left Nora to see him when he got here," Tony explained. "How did you find out?"

Bruce pulled a stool out from under the counter and sat down.

"We saw him last night when we went to check on Nora," Jane told him. Darcy nodded her agreement as she sat down on the couch next to Jane. Bruce looked around, but he didn't know where Erik went. Maybe he heard Loki was there and decided to stay away for a bit. Bruce wouldn't blame him.

Tony raised an eyebrow slowly, a smirk pulling at his face. "Oh really?" Bruce knew that look; it was a look of impending taunts and teasing. He wasn't sure why Tony enjoyed taunting those he shouldn't (like Bruce himself, or the Other Guy), but he was just grateful it wasn't him for once.

Pepper went to ask Tony something when the elevator opened, revealing the Asgardian in question. Bruce watched Loki's eyes take count of everyone in the room quickly. He stood in the elevator for a few seconds, a debate clearly raging in his head. Leave or stay. Bruce knew the look well.

Loki steeled himself, walking across the room purposefully to the kitchen portion of the room. Keeping his back turned, he opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. "Must you all continue to stare?" he demanded after a few quiet seconds, while turning on everyone in the room. Bruce immediately looked away politely.

Pepper stood up and walked over. "Do you want anything to eat, Loki?" Bruce watched as Tony pouted as he watched Pepper.

"No, thank you, Pepper. I am fine for now," Loki replied politely.

Pepper smiled and went to give him a pat on the arm. "Welcome back."

Crap, she didn't know that he was freezing cold again! Tony stood from the chair quickly, making Jane and Darcy watch him with confused faces. Thankfully, Pepper had only touched his coat, but by the look on her face, and the sudden chill in the air, Bruce could tell she knew. She just smiled and gave Loki a quick reassuring pat and walked back to Tony, tsking at him. "Home many times do I have to tell you not to worry, Tony?" she rolled her eyes.

"Worry about what?" Jane and Darcy chorused.

"The fact that Loki basically freezes anything he touches," Tony told her like she was slow. "He's a… What did you call it?" he asked Loki.

 _Damn, Tony,_ Bruce thought in sympathy for Loki. He truly had no class about talking about personal matters. Tony just didn't know what it was like to despise a part of yourself that couldn't be changed. Tony was just a (semi) normal person, with an ego the size of a planet. Bruce could relate to the Asgardian; he had truly hated what he was for a long time. But he supposed he had his experiences and his new makeshift family to thank for his new outlook on himself. He didn't think Loki had that often. Bruce shivered as a wave of cold air brushed over him.

"Tony!" Pepper snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

"What did I-" Tony started to ask.

Loki placed the fully frozen water bottle on the counter forcefully and vanished.

Darcy and Jane looked back and forth, still confused. "What's going on? What is he?" Darcy asked. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. Pepper sat down and explained what Loki was while Bruce watched the frozen water bottle sweat, an idea forming.

* * *

Loki appeared in the large, dark work place that was filled with several machines. He made his way back to the freezer he had discovered Stark still had from his previous time on Midgard.

Loki found it astonishing, the rate in which the mortals figured him out so easily. It always seemed like someone new found out about his Jotun heritage by the day. Yet the Asgardians still had yet to piece together the information. He scoffed at himself as he opened the doors to the inside of the freezer.

Was this to be his fate? To be discovered and end up alone in the dark and cold? He was starting to think so.

Loki left the door open a few inches and made his way to the back of the freezer. The very dim lights from the lab gave him enough light to make his way around. He would've shut the door but then he felt caged again. Trapped. He didn't want that again.

He plopped onto the chair Stark had placed inside for him. He took off his gloves slowly, half expecting to see his blue skin. He only saw the normal skin color of the Asgardians. But it was just an illusion. He was never truly an Asgardian. Just a fake, like one of his summoned copies.

"Loki?"

Loki turned to look at the freezer door as a light flicked on. Squinting to help adjust his eyes, he watched as Bruce peaked his head inside. "I thought I'd find you here," the man said, smiling tentatively. "You alright? You know Tony doesn't have a filter."

"What do you want Dr. Banner?"

The man rubbed the back of his neck. "I need a favor."

Loki's brows furrowed. What could the man possibly want with him?

"I was going to see if you'd sit with Nora for a while," the man told him awkwardly.

"For what purpose?" Loki asked, still confused.

Banner shrugged and gestured to the freezer around him. "She has a fever that keeps coming back. I thought maybe you could help cool the room down for a while, hopefully her fever will break finally."

"And what makes you think I care one way or another about the human woman?" Loki asked, falling into his façade again. He found it much easier to fall into such a mask of indifference than to care.

Bruce gave him a pitying look. "Jane said she saw you upstairs when her and Darcy went to check on her last night. Which means, you care, at least a little bit."

"Is that so?" Loki asked somewhat harshly. "You presume to know how I feel then?" Bruce just stood there and watched Loki, a hopeful expression in his eyes. "Well, I hate to shatter your illusions," Loki continued sarcastically, "but I don't care one way or another about that woman. Now, if you'd please leave, I'd like to rest."

Bruce heaved a sigh, and left him alone. Loki hadn't missed the unveiled disappointment in the man's eyes. It seemed he was always disappointing someone. Loki looked at his hands once more, the bracelets clasped to his wrists. Taking them off momentarily, he flexed his hands as they blurred into the deep blue that was his natural form. The doctor was foolish. He couldn't help anyone like this.

* * *

Loki looked around carefully, making sure there were no lingering humans. Thor's woman and her friend had already left about thirty minutes ago, and he had asked Jarvis is anyone else was awake. There wasn't.

He teleported inside the room, reluctantly watching as the woman rasped for even breaths while shivering with a fever. He looked around, unsure of what to do, and he wondered what had possessed him to try and _help._

Maybe it was the disappointment in the doctor's eyes. Maybe he just wanted to be able to do something _good_ in his hated form; to prove he wasn't a monster like the other Jotuns. Or maybe it was because it's what Thor or his mother would've done had they been on Midgard. They were always almost sickeningly _kind._ He tried not to think about it too deeply.

Grabbing a nearby chair, he sat next to the nightstand. The doctor had only said to sit with her, so that's all he would do.

He sat there for a while, lost inside his thoughts, before the woman started to mumble incoherent things in her sleep. In his boredom, Loki yawned and stretched out his legs.

 _This is the epitome of dull,_ he thought. He couldn't even read a book to pass the time. He needed it dark so no one discovered him. He certainly didn't need Stark's endless taunts if he ever found out.

"Loki?"

He jolted upwards quickly, gaze snapping to the woman. Busted.

"You're not… blue anymore…" she said quietly, yawning as her half open eyes closed again. She shivered a little, wrapping the thin sheet around herself with her good arm. Her breathing evening out.

 _Why did she sound disappointed?_

"…Glad you're okay though…Not injured…" she continued to ramble, eyes still closed. Loki watched her oddly embarrassed and tense. She became quiet, snuggling into the pillow. "Now give me back my bag," she demanded quietly, sleep talking again.

Loki growled under his breath, irritated. Why did he think this was a good idea again? Even in her sleep, she annoyed him.

* * *

 **Ta-dah! Chapter 10. I can't believe I've gotten 10 chapters up, I didn't think I'd get past Asgard, honestly. I thought the story would just sit in the back of my mind, or be written down in my binders like a million others. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks again for reading and liking my story. It's a good creative outlet for myself. Leave a review and tell me whatcha think! Reviews help immensely!**

 **Also, I feel this story needs a cover. Anyone artistically inclined that can help out? Or any suggestions on a picture? Anyway, until next time Loki lovers! -K**


	11. Chapter 11

Nora felt like crap. She wasn't quite sure what crap felt like, but she imagined that this was it. Her whole body was achy, and she felt grimy. Cracking her eyes open slowly, she was blinded by a bright light burning into her eyeballs. Great, now those hurt too!

Groaning, she used her right hand to pull whatever lay on top of her off. She felt like she was wrapped in a dozen layers on a summer day. She liked hot weather enough, but she felt like she was chillin' in the devil's sauna for hours. As she flung the sheet away, cool air instantly washed over her, eliciting a content sigh. She lay there tired and slightly out of it, before trying to pry her eyes open and sit up. Squinting against the light, she pushed a pillow behind her back.

"Where am I?" she mumbled to herself, trying to blink spots from her vision.

"You are still in Stark Tower, Nora."

She winced as Jarvis' voice. "A little quieter please," she groaned. "Any way you can dim the lights in here for me, Jarvis?" Not a moment passed before she watched the lights dim.

"It's good to have you back, Nora," Jarvis told her, his voice at a much lower volume. "I have informed the others of your awakening. They are on their way."

Nora nodded and rubbed at her stiff neck. "Just tell them to keep it down, okay?"

"Already, done."

"You're awesome, Jarvis," Nora smiled gratefully. She rested back into her pillows, almost falling asleep again. She couldn't remember a time when she was so tired!

"Nora!" a voice shouted.

She cringed back into the pillows. "Headache," she groaned. Suddenly, she was being pulled into a huge hug. Nora opened her eyes to see Darcy embracing her tightly. A dull pain blossomed in her left side and she groaned. Instantly, Darcy let go.

"If you ever scare me like that again Nora Elizabeth Lewis, I will murder you!" Darcy glared at her. The effectiveness of said glare was nullified by the extreme relief in her eyes. Nora looked past Darcy to see Jane, Erik, Pepper, and the few members of the Avengers standing near the doorway.

"Am I not dead already?" Nora asked, teasingly. "It feels like I got hit by a bus." Then she looked at everyone. "I better not be dead, because that would mean all of you are dead, too. Who am I going to haunt now?"

She heard various chuckles as she lay back into the pillows, and everyone made their way towards the bed. She shivered slightly, the cool air brushing against her.

"Why is it so cold in here?" Darcy asked, rubbing her arms slightly.

"Darcy, would you mind getting a wheelchair for Nora? She should get cleaned up and rest some more," Bruce changed the subject, an oddly happy look on his face. Nora didn't have the energy to try and discern the look. Darcy jumped up and headed towards the hallway. Everyone else hovered over Nora, giving her their congrats on finally getting better. Bruce had to shoo them from the room as he gave her one last medical once over. After a few minutes of checking her pulse, temperature, and answering a few questions, Bruce finally sat on the edge of the bed to shine a small flash light into her eyes.

"How long was I out?" Nora asked him, blinking away more spots in her vision.

"Almost a week," Bruce told her, clicking the flashlight off. "We were all really worried."

Nora gave him a weak smile of thanks. "Where's the creature?"

"Contained," Bruce said seriously. _Contained?_ Nora thought. At her confused look, Bruce continued. "I had Tony help me create a cell of sorts if I ever lost control. A place basically unbreakable, even for the Other Guy. It's locked in there for now."

"You helped me," Nora recalled faintly. She thought she remembered a loud roaring sound that wasn't the creature.

"Well, the Other Guy did, but yeah, I guess," Bruce smiled a little.

"Did anyone else get hurt?" Nora yawned. Bruce shook his head. "That's good," Nora murmured, stifling another yawn.

Darcy practically skidded to a halt as she ran down the hallway with the wheelchair. "Alright, Nora. Let's get you upstairs. There's a shower with your name on it, and a comfy non-sweaty bed."

"But I'm so tired, can't it wait?"

"Suck it up, cuz," Darcy smiled. "You smell, quite frankly, and need to bathe."

"That makes me feel _so_ much better, thanks Darcy. I did almost die, doesn't that give me some leeway?" she asked, shaking her head, while Bruce and Darcy helped her into the wheelchair.

"Your leeway is me wheeling you to the tub," Darcy smirked down at her.

Bruce chuckled at the two of them and shook his head. "You can remove the bandages, but try not to get the wounds too wet for very long. Then dab them dry. I'll come and see you tomorrow morning to rewrap it. And try not to move your shoulder too much, your partially healed, but not close to one hundred percent," he told her in his doctor tone.

Nora nodded, and smiled her thanks. Then Bruce told them goodnight as Darcy wheeled her away upstairs.

* * *

The next morning, Bruce patched Nora up quickly after checking her shoulder and leg. Then he wheeled her into the main room where everyone was standing around the island, suddenly shouting surprise at her. Nora couldn't help the touched smile that made her cheeks hurt. Darcy wheeled her to the table where a huge breakfast was laid out for everyone. After eating and talking for a short while, Pepper announced that she had to leave and run the company. At this, everyone gave Tony a pointed look and shook their heads in pity for Pepper. Soon after, Jane and Erik went to go talk with S.H.I.E.L.D., giving them some results for tests and experiments they were doing. Darcy stayed with Nora as Tony and Bruce went back to working on whatever it was they were working on. That left Steve, Darcy, and Nora sitting on the couch watching TV.

"So Steve," Darcy said suddenly, eyeing the man carefully. "You're like Mr. Super Soldier, right?"

"I suppose so, why?" Steve answered, after a few confused silent moments.

"Wanna teach me some self-defense moves?" Darcy asked. Nora looked at her curiously.

The slight confusion faded from Steve as he turned serious. "Is someone bothering you?"

Darcy laughed and shook her head. "Oh no, and if they were, I have my taser for that," she told him. "You know I tased Thor once? But at least I didn't hit him with my car like Jane did." Nora burst into laughter at the mental images of Thor getting tased and ran over. Steve even laughed. "It could be something useful though, you know?" Darcy continued. "And if I'm going to learn, I might as well learn from Captain America."

Steve thought about it for a minute before nodding his agreement. They both went in opposite directions to change into comfy clothes, then came back to wheel Nora into the elevator. She could hardly wheel herself with one good arm, unless she wanted to do circles in place. They descended a few floors and came out in a large room that was set up like a gym. There were large mats laid on the floor, and several work out machines placed sporadically through the room. The far wall was basically a mirror, with short shelves of weights in front of it.

Steve pushed Nora towards the mat in the center of the room, and she watched as Steve gave Darcy some simple instructions. After about twenty minutes of showing Darcy how to punch properly and some good areas to attack if someone were to grab her from different angles, Darcy decided she was ready for Steve to "attack" her. While Steve seemed slightly uncomfortable fake attacking Darcy, he committed to the lesson. He moved slower than an actual attacker would, instructing Darcy as he moved. Nora could definitely see Steve in his element; he seemed like a natural leader. He was patient, yet strict, as he gave the lesson.

After about an hour or so, Steve decided that they should rest and stop for the day. He grabbed some of the extra mats and padding they used and headed towards the far wall.

"What's with the need for protection?" Nora asked Darcy as she made her way over. "You're not in trouble are you?"

"Psssh, I'm fine," Darcy tsked, throwing her ponytail back.

Nora looked at her confused. "Then why-"

"Nora," Darcy told her, putting her hand on Nora's good shoulder. "Look at the man." Nora looked at Steve's retreating figure. "I just spent the last hour up close and personal with all of that muscle-y attractiveness."

Nora gaped at her cousin. "You did all of this so you could feel his muscles?"

"Cuz, those muscles are firm as hell. As a woman, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I couldn't just ask him to take his shirt off, jeez. Besides, I even learned something," Darcy grinned.

Nora burst into laughter, trying to keep her stomach from hurting. Darcy really was something else. "You're so weird, Darcy."

"Where do you think you got it from?" Darcy asked rhetorically. Then she wheeled Nora towards the elevator. "Besides, I prefer evil mastermind." The elevator opened. "Speaking of evil mastermind, I haven't seen Loki around today."

"Loki's here?" Nora asked, looking back.

"He got here a couple days ago," Darcy explained, making room for Steve as he entered the elevator. "He's been around somewhere in the tower. He hasn't really hung around much."

Hmmm… Nora couldn't help but wonder what had happened. She didn't think he'd come to Earth on his own for just a visit. Was Thor there, too? She hadn't seen him earlier at her surprise "get well" breakfast. Then again, she hadn't seen Loki either.

Nora was quiet while she thought, Darcy wheeling her into the living room once again. Steve got a call, then told them he had some S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff to take care of, and left. That left Darcy and Nora alone to hang out like they used to when they were little. Nora couldn't remember the last time they had gotten to just talk with each other while Darcy did their nails. Between Darcy's internship, and Nora working most of the time to try and save up money, they usually didn't get much time together. She had missed her cousin, and she was going to enjoy every minute.

* * *

 _She ran as fast as she could, but her leg burned so bad and she just…couldn't move! Her body moved annoyingly sluggish, as if she were trying to wade through water. She could hear the growls behind her, getting ever so closer. Suddenly, she took a sharp turn and looked behind her. Her heart stopped as she saw claws and teeth lunging at her-_

Nora bolted upright in the bed. Frantic, she tried to look around the dark room before scrambling for her phone for some light. It was a dream, she told herself as she panted quietly. Just a dream. Reaching over to the nightstand in her new room, she flipped on the large lamp. As she sat there, trying to breathe normally, she started to feel a sharp pain in her injured shoulder. Looking down, she saw a slight tinge of red through her t-shirt. She lifted her shirt carefully to see a small line of blood forming beneath the new bandages. She must have been fighting in her sleep and pulled at the wound. She'd need Bruce to look at it again.

"Are you alright, Nora?"

She jumped, slightly startled at Jarvis' voice suddenly speaking to her. After a few deep breaths, she nodded. "Yes, Jarvis. I'm fine, thank you. I'll be alright."

Nora sighed and tried to awkwardly take her shirt off with her good arm. She was still trembling slightly from her nightmare, but she eventually managed to put on another large t-shirt. Looking at the blood, she was thankful she wasn't squeamish.

 _Well, I'm awake now,_ Nora thought, knowing she wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. Looking at her phone, she realized it was only a few minutes before midnight. Nora limped her way towards the kitchen for some water, using the wall for support along the way. While her leg was mostly healed, it was slightly painful if she flexed the muscles too much by walking.

Once she reached the kitchen, she opened the fridge, shielding herself from the sudden light. Grabbing a water bottle, she hopped to the nearest stool and sat down. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she pressed a few buttons and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Sweetie? Are you alright?"

"Yes, Mom, I'm alright," Nora smiled, taking a drink.

"Darcy told me that you had been sick since your vacation, but she wouldn't really give any details," her mother went on. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Nora nodded out of habit, then realized that her mother wouldn't be able to see it. "I promise you, I'm fine now. I just had a fever and was sleeping most of the time," Nora told her. It was basically the truth. She'd leave out getting attacked by aliens though. "I just woke up to get a drink of water and thought I'd call and say hi." Her mother, Sydney, was usually up late as she worked at a hotel at the front desk during the night.

"Alright, you can't blame me for worrying," Sydney replied in a motherly tone that implied she was still, in fact, worried. "How was your vacation with Jane?"

Nora tried to explain the vacation was beautiful without giving her specific details. Her mother thought they had gone across the world, not across realms. Most people didn't know that the other realms existed, but Darcy and Jane had told Nora all about them. Thanks to Loki's attack on New York, Earth knew that aliens existed and there were threats out there, but now the world also knew that there were heroes to save the day. Nora didn't want to just give away information that might get her into trouble, so she kept her descriptions vague and hoped her mother didn't ask too many specific questions.

Thinking back on her trip to Asgard, she remembered that Loki was in the tower, and she apologized for being such a wild child. "Oh sweetie, you were fine," Sydney laughed, a smile clear in her voice. "Children will be children. I wouldn't change anything for the world." There was a moment of silence. "Except the phase where you liked to run around painting everything and trying to cut everyone's hair," she teased. Nora laughed at the memories. She was truly a force of energy as a child.

Catching up a little more, her mother finally told her that she had to get back to work and that she'd call again in a couple days. The call had chased away any lingering panic from her nightmare, thankfully, so Nora made her way back towards the hallway. As she turned the corner she caught a quick glance of someone walking and a flowing coat. "Jarvis, was that Loki?"

"Yes, I believe he is headed to the roof."

"Take me up there?" Nora asked.

"Of course," Jarvis answered, the elevator opening.

"Thanks, Jarvis," Nora said, entering the elevator. The elevator rose, and opened once it reached the roof. A cool breeze blew against her as she stepped out and admired the city below. She spotted Loki standing near the edge of the roof, looking up at the sky. She thought she heard him muttering to himself, but she couldn't be sure. "Hey," she called, limping a little towards him. "What're you doing out here?"

At her call, he had turned to her in surprise, but he quickly recovered himself. "Trying to reach Heimdall," he answered, looking back up at the sky. "He won't answer of course."

She chuckled at his tone. "So what're you doing here on Earth?" She waited a few seconds before realizing he wasn't going to answer. _Some things never change,_ she thought with a roll of her eyes. After about two minutes she finally turned to him. "What happened?" she demanded.

"Excuse me?" Loki asked, turning to her finally.

"We were attacked before I left Asgard. You aren't blue anymore, and now you're on Earth and Heimdall won't answer or send you back. Something happened while I was unconscious," she told him.

"Stark hasn't told everyone by now? That's surprising," Loki mumbled.

Nora couldn't help the smile pulling at her lips. Tony was definitely the most outspoken of the people she'd recently met. "Nope, at least not to me. I just woke up earlier today. I didn't even know you were here until Darcy told me." Something akin to relief filled his eyes for a second, but it didn't stay for long. _Odd…_ she thought, watching him curiously. Then he quickly explained what had happened, and what was currently happening on Asgard as far as he knew.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Nora snapped, raising her hand to cut him off. He immediately became quiet as he looked at her. "They just sent you here because people started rumors about you?"

Loki looked taken aback at Nora's anger. "It wouldn't be the first time I've done something similar. Traitors, though forgiven, are generally untrustworthy."

"Well, did you plan the attack?" she asked a bit more sharply than she meant to. He shook his head, clearly confused by her reaction. "Well then there you go!"

At that, Loki let out a hollow laugh. "I suppose I see the suspicion. I was attacked, but not badly injured. The creature got away, and then I was hidden away for days away from sight."

"Because you're blue?"

A sharp, impatient sigh escaped him. "I'm not blue. I am a Jotun." Once the words left his mouth, he made an uncomfortable look.

 _And the Asgardians don't like those,_ Nora thought. "So you're screwed either way?" He quirked a brow at her, curious. "You can't win. You can't tell them you're a Jotun, or they'll turn on you. And since you were blue, you couldn't prove that you weren't part of the attack, to which they turned on you anyway," she tried to explain. She couldn't help but get a little angry on his behalf. To be set up to fail like that and not be able to do anything… No wonder he was Mr. Crankypants half the time. Making a noise of irritation, Nora slowly bent down to sit.

"You're…angry," Loki said slowly, still watching her.

"Of course I'm angry," Nora looked up at him. "Your situation sucks." She took a deep breath and looked at the few stars showing in the sky. Slowly, the slight anger receded, but it still remained in the back of her mind. "So what did you mean you had done something like that before?" she asked him, changing the subject.

"None of your business," he replied coolly, eyes narrowing up at the sky once again.

 _Dang,_ she thought. She was still majorly curious about his past. "Okay," she shrugged, mentally adding that to the list of things she wanted to get answers to. She made it a life goal to figure him out. She could be patient.

"Okay?" he echoed her, once again watching her curiously.

The breeze picked up and Nora tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Well, pestering you about it won't do anything. You'll just stay quiet and won't respond." She had figured that about him by now. If he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't, and there was no point in trying to make him. "I'm not going to try and force you to talk about something you don't even want to talk about. That would be rude."

"You're an odd mortal," he said quietly, under the sound of the breeze. He looked strangely vulnerable to Nora at that moment, so she gave him a quick smile and laid back against the roof, watching airplanes in the sky. She could spot a few of the constellations Jane had taught her, and she spotted the half moon hanging in the sky. After a few silent moments, Loki sat himself on the edge of the roof a few feet away, legs dangling over the side.

Nora watched the sky, her eyes starting to feel heavy. She was just going to rest her eyes… Just for a while…

"Mortal."

She could feel the comforting heaviness of sleep invade her now, her eyes refusing to open.

"Midgardian."

Nora groaned slightly in irritation. She was trying to sleep!

"If you don't wake up, I'm going to let you roll off the roof in your sleep," Loki's voice came to her in a snappy tone.

Nora huffed as irritation flooded her. While some part of her was glad he hadn't just left her out there, she was also tired and her emotions were leaning towards grumpiness from her lack of sleep. Slowly, she managed to push herself up slightly awkward with her good arm. She saw Loki waiting for her, surprisingly patient, as she made her way to the elevator.

"Can't you just teleport me inside?" Nora groaned, leaning against the elevator wall. She could hear him chuckle as she closed her eyes again, the elevator swaying slightly as it descended. It opened on the main living floor and Nora made her way to the couch before plopping on it like a child. She managed to snag a pillow before she got comfy. She was asleep in seconds.

* * *

Loki stood in the hallway, watching the woman practically fall onto the couch already asleep. He wasn't sure what he felt at the moment. The woman had surprised him again. She had been genuinely angry on his behalf. She had understood what the situation was, and had somehow picked his side. She hadn't told him he was overreacting, or ignored his side of things. It was strange, not having someone dismiss him immediately.

He had also been immensely relieved that she didn't remember him sitting next to her bed for hours.

She also hadn't pestered him about things he didn't want to talk about. Unlike Thor, she had merely shrugged and moved on. He knew she'd ask again later, but she wouldn't push him. Thinking of his brother, he wondered how things were doing with Vanaheim and Niflheim. He hoped his brother was alright, but he immediately dismissed the thought. Thor seemed to have an uncanny ability to end up the victor; this situation was no different. Thor had plenty of friends and allies surrounding him surely. And as Loki looked at the woman one last time, he thought that maybe he had gained another friend for himself. Somehow.

Midgardians were strange.

* * *

 **I don't really have much to say right now, other than I hope you liked the chapter! It was a bit of a slower one, but I hope it was entertaining.**

 **Please leave me a review and let me know whatcha think! Thanks again for sticking with me!**

 **PS. You guys have some freaking sweet names, just thought you should know! Anyway, toodles! -K**


	12. Chapter 12

Nora sat on the couch with Darcy and Bruce as the TV played something in the background. They were all talking amongst themselves as Darcy was trying different designs for Nora's nails. After a little while, Tony came into the room, clearly unhappy, while Pepper followed closely behind him.

"What's with the monkey suit, Stark?" Darcy teased, setting down the nail polish on the table. Nora laughed at Tony's pouted glare as he pulled at his tie, straightening it. Bruce chuckled almost silently, a smirk clear on his face.

"We're going to a big party for the company and its affiliates," Pepper explained, grabbing a clutch purse off the counter. She had on a long, elegant black dress on with one shoulder strap across her shoulders. Her hair was curled and fell in bouncy waves over her shoulders. "Tony actually _has_ to show up."

"I do not," Tony grumbled. "Come on, Pep," he pleaded, holding his arms in front of him somewhat dramatically. "I'm so close to a breakthrough with a new suit!"

"And you'll be just as close when we get back," Pepper replied with a smile.

"I saved the world, can't I catch a break?" Tony tried. "Doesn't anyone else have to go?"

"Nope," Pepper quipped instantly, grabbing his arm and heading for the elevator. "Besides, you're the one with the ever-rising company, not the Avengers." Then she looked over her shoulder as they walked into the elevator. "See you guys later!" Tony just grumbled as the elevator shut, and the three of them burst into laughter.

"He really doesn't like to go to meetings or anything, does he?" Nora laughed.

Darcy and Bruce shook their heads. "He doesn't care for the fancy clothes anymore," Darcy explained.

"Yeah, but he _does_ like all the attention he gets," Bruce continued.

Darcy snorted. "That he does."

They all started laughing as Bruce told them stories of Tony's antics. "You should've seen him at the giant press conference last year. He basically asked someone if they got paid for being an idiot, because then they'd be richer than he was. Pepper had a field day with that one."

Nora could imagine it, more laughter escaping her. Practically hearing his voice in her head, she wished she could be as brazen as Tony, but she didn't think she could quite pull it off. After a few more stories, Bruce told them he was going to do some more research and that he'd try to be back for dinner.

Darcy flipped through movie channels as Bruce left, finally deciding on a movie. "Seriously? Mean Girls?" Nora asked the woman. "Haven't we watched this like a hundred times by now? We can quote the whole thing almost."

"Oh, my poor dear cousin," Darcy patted her on the shoulder softly, with eyes full of pity. "This movie is eternal!"

Nora rolled her eyes at Darcy dramatics, but smiled all the same. As they watched the movie, quoting all the parts as they happened, Loki emerged from the hallway. Nora and Darcy were crying from laughing so hard, and Loki just looked at them like they had lost their minds. Not saying a word, he headed to the fridge.

"Hey, Loki," Darcy called as Loki pulled some juice from the fridge. "Tony tells me you're blue, what gives?" Loki choked a little on the drink he had taken, then turned to Darcy, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Oh my God, Darcy, you can't just ask people why they're blue," Nora laughed, paraphrasing the movie. That earned her an irritated look from the Asgardian. She tried to look apologetic… but she knew she failed miserably. Darcy was definitely blunt, no wonder her and Tony got along.

Loki just looked at the two of them, grimacing slightly.

"Leave him be, Darcy," Nora told her cousin, the smirk still on her face. _Seriously, he really needed to loosen up a bit._ "He does look pretty neat, though." As Loki stood there for a moment, Nora turned around to look at him again. "Do you wanna join us and watch a movie?" she offered.

It took him a few seconds to answer, but when he did, Nora half expected his response. "No."

"Yeah, like you have more exciting things to do in the freezer downstairs," Darcy scoffed sarcastically. She turned back to the TV, watching the last few scenes of the movie. Loki remained quiet, looking at Darcy seemingly insulted. Nora smirked at his look of astonishment and shrugged at him, before turning back to the TV too.

"Will you be staying, Loki?" Jarvis' voice asked. "Shall I try to find a suitable movie for the three of you?"

Silence fell as Darcy and Nora sat there for a few seconds. Since they were facing the other way, Nora assumed Loki had teleported somewhere within the tower to avoid them; so she was pleasantly surprised when Loki sat down in one of the lone armchairs next to the couch. Even if his movements gave away his reluctance to do so.

"I shall find a movie for the three of you," Jarvis announced, the TV automatically zooming through the channels and searches. Nora was pleasantly surprised, but glad Loki had joined them. He had been keeping to himself the last few days. She wasn't sure what he did while locked away in the freezer half the time, but Nora was slightly worried for him. He had been slightly more snappy with everyone lately, even Tony tried not to joke around his as much. She figured he was worried about Thor and Asgard; maybe they could distract him for while.

* * *

Pepper watched, amazed, as Tony went from pouty, sulky child, to a suave and cocky man. The change happened as soon as the limo door had opened. She tried not to roll her eyes at him. The switch from not wanting to attend, to hogging all the attention was baffling.

Tony was such an enigma sometimes.

Pepper made pleasant small talk with some guests as her and Tony made their rounds. Pepper herself found these gatherings tedious, probably as much as Tony. Not that she'd ever admit it to him. One of them had to be responsible. Many of the guests in attendance didn't know a thing about Tony's company, only the fact that they made monetary gains by working with Stark Industries. The few people that she could remotely talk business with were too busy trying to get Tony's attention and practically ignoring her.

This is what made Pepper loathe these parties. Sure, everyone knew that she ran the company single-handedly almost (or at least without help from Tony), but the people that were here weren't at the endless board meetings and conferences to obtain that knowledge. They just assumed she was there to be Tony's date, and her figurehead role was nothing more than superficial.

She was talking with one of the men's wives about their family. Some of the men's wives weren't so bad. In fact, Pepper usually tried to keep contact with some of them every once in a while. She had no idea how they put up with their husband's sexist attitudes, but she wouldn't interfere. It wasn't her business. She knew Tony had his fair share of bad habits and opinions, but her capability was never questioned in the slightest.

"Mind if I steal her for a dance, ladies?" Tony's voice cut in smoothly as she felt his arm sneak around her waist. The women shook their heads and smiled at the two as Tony led Pepper away to the dance floor. "Ready to head back yet?" Tony asked, the two of them swaying to the music slowly. "These people are more clueless than Cap when I try to talk quantum physics with him."

Pepper gave him a slight smack on the arm, fighting back a smirk of agreement. "Tony!" _These people are really dull though,_ she thought with a slight grimace.

Tony just laughed at her almost reprimand. "Come on, you know it's true. They're monumentally boring."

"Perhaps," Pepper conceded. "But these parties are a necessary evil."

"Can't I just show up in an Iron Man suit and dazzle the masses and leave?"

Pepper grinned, leaning her head against Tony's shoulder. "You tried that once, remember?"

She could feel his laughter through his chest. "Yeah… It only made the night drag on longer, until I flew home." She felt him look around quickly. "Come on, no one's looking, we can totally sneak out the back."

Pepper pulled back with an un-amused facial expression. Was he really expecting her to just up and leave? She couldn't just shirk her responsibilities as CEO. "Tony, we can't-"

Tony ignored her as he suddenly pulled her behind the large DJ booth and towards a vacant hallway. Laughing rebelliously, Tony pulled Pepper through several hallways, following some invisible path. It was a good thing she could run in heels without twisting an ankle.

"Tony! Tony, over here!" a myriad of voices called out suddenly.

"Damn," he muttered, helping Pepper to a full stop. Cameras flashed and blinded the couple as reporters and interviewers swarmed them like gnats. Tony turned on his pseudo charm for the people, and Pepper caught her breath behind him. She couldn't help the feeling of disappointment flow through her. In truth, she had wanted to escape. It figured she'd have to wait a bit longer.

* * *

"That is _not_ how magic works," Loki commented, grinning slightly evilly. He then caught the pillow flying at his head easily.

"Quit ruining Harry Potter for me, Loki!" Darcy shouted as she threw another pillow. Nora laughed as he caught it again effortlessly. After searching through dozens of movies, they couldn't decide on one, so Nora had told Jarvis to pick for them by randomly selecting from what was on cable. The search had landed on Harry Potter. Darcy and Nora had been excited, while Loki hadn't complained (much). Then he had purposefully started to mock the movie which ended with random projectiles being thrown at him. He hadn't retaliated, other than to keep poking fun at the movie. Nora just leaned away out of the line of fire.

"Who wants popcorn?" Nora chirped, hoping up and walking to the cabinets. Darcy called out a "yes!" as she watched the movie. Quickly, the sound of popping kernels filled the room as the TV went to a commercial. After a few minutes, Nora poured the bag into two big bowls. Loki looked surprised when she offered him one of the bowls. Nora gave him a quick smile before flopping back onto the couch next to Darcy.

"Your form of entertainment is rather dull," Loki commented offhandedly, eating a few pieces of popcorn.

"Because you were _so_ fun to be around in Asgard," Nora said sarcastically, shaking her head. She didn't think he knew the meaning of fun.

"I apologized," he huffed somewhat defiantly.

"Did you though? I don't recall an "I'm sorry" ever being uttered," Nora teased him, throwing a few pieces of popcorn at him. He frowned and went to retort when he suddenly became tense. Then his eyes widened, before narrowing again suspiciously. "What's wrong?" Nora asked, seriously. Loki looked towards the large balcony doors and stood. Suddenly, there was a faint vibration under Nora's feet. "Loki?" she tried again.

He walked over to the glass doors, looking out into the city. His eyes scanned the surrounding area quickly.

"Spit it out already," Darcy snapped a little. Nora and Darcy were watching Loki, turned around backwards on the couch.

"The Chitauri," Loki answered finally, quietly. Nora and Darcy shared an anxious glance. This couldn't be good.

* * *

Tony was almost at his patience limit (which, admittedly, wasn't very high to begin with). All the reporters and interviewers were wearing on his nerves. Some scathing insults sat at the tip of his tongue, but before he could get the chance to speak his thoughts, the ground started shaking. Tony instinctively reached for Pepper, making sure she was okay.

"Please don't be aliens. Please don't be aliens," Pepper muttered quietly.

 _Oh, please be aliens! Please be aliens!_ Tony thought. Anything to get away from the party and away from the cameras.

Shouts and yells started up a few blocks away. The cameramen and reporters scattered quickly. Tony ran forward near the street, pulling Pepper with him. Quickly, he looked back and forth trying to find the cause of the shaking. Suddenly, Tony's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. It was Fury.

"Stark, we have incoming!" Fury's voice snapped through the phone.

"Thank you, God," Tony muttered, already hauling Pepper towards the tower. It was a good thing they were only a short trek to the tower. With the people running around, scared, driving would be near impossible.

"Excuse me?" Fury demanded.

"Nothing," Tony quipped. "What is it now?"

"The Chitauri again. There's a large group of them just south of you, and headed your way. Gather-"

Fury was cut off by a loud, echoing screech as the large flying creature flew overhead. Pepper pulled away from Tony to cover her ears. _Shit,_ Tony inwardly cursed. He grabbed Pepper and pulled her along again. Forgetting Fury was on the line, Tony hung up and dialed the tower. "Jarvis, send me a suit, now!"

"Already deployed, sir."

"Great, thanks. Where's Cap?"

"He left for his apartment yesterday. I have already tried to call for him, but I received no answer."

"Dammit, get me Bruce then," Tony ordered, watching as the large Chitauri deployed its annoying reinforcements. Dozens of them fell to the ground as the creature still few overhead. Pausing for a moment, Tony watched as the thing turned right ahead of them. Wait…why was that thing going that way? Surely it wasn't a coincidence…

"Is it heading for the tower?" Pepper asked, slightly winded from running.

Another deafening screech sounded as another flying Chitauri rounded the corner a few blocks west of them. "Jarvis, the suit!" As Tony finished his command, he saw his suit flying at him through the city lights. He let Pepper go for a moment as the suit quickly molded around him. Screens popped up in his mask. "How many of them, Jarvis?"

"From my calculations, roughly one hundred, sir. Plus the two large ones."

 _Well, it could be worse,_ Tony thought. "Is there a portal somewhere?"

"It doesn't appear so."

Tony turned to Pepper, his mask pulling upwards. "Go find somewhere safe, and be careful." He gave her a look, trying to display the thoughts currently running through his mind. Pepper gave him a similar look and nodded, determined.

"Be careful, Tony," she demanded before heading back down the street. His mask fell down and locked into place, and he flew off.

* * *

Loki stared into the city below. The chill he felt go down his spine was an eerily familiar sensation. Repulsive, but familiar. It was the same feeling of being in the void.

"Loki?" Nora's voice called him gently.

He watched as she approached him in the reflection in the glass. She was worried like her cousin behind her. He looked past the glass into the city again. It was then that he saw the large flying beasts weaving its way through the city. He couldn't help his lip curling in disgust at the large stupid creature. Truly, it lacked finesse. It was more of a giant annoyance than anything.

"Is that Tony?" Nora asked to no one in particular as she came closer to the balcony door. Loki scanned the area quickly, easily spotting Stark's fighting through the air. He was trying to destroy some of the smaller Chitauri as they leapt from the flying beast.

"Anytime someone wants to help would be fantastic!" Stark's voice entered the living room. "Where the hell is Bruce?"

"I'm here, Tony," Bruce's voiced called suddenly as he entered the room.

"Well, Hulk out already," Stark snapped. There were faint sounds of explosions and the suit flying through the air in the background.

Loki remained looking through the glass at the city. He could see two flying beasts now, and the humans running amok through the streets. He might have found the chaos exiting once, if he had caused it perhaps. But he was too distracted trying to figure where the Chitauri came from. He could see no portal, and surely the humans would be monitoring for such energy spikes.

"Are you sure you need the Other Guy-" the doctor began.

"I know I'm great and all, but some help would be appreciated," Tony called through the room a bit snarky. Loki could practically hear the man rolling his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure! This isn't a leisure call, Bruce. There's too many for just me. I can't protect people from getting hurt and attack at the same time. The other suits aren't ready yet."

Loki looked at the doctor. Clearly he was reluctant to change forms and assist Stark for whatever reason.

"Before I die of old age, Bruce!" Tony snapped. "Cap is MIA. Romanoff and Barton are on some mission for S.H.I.E.L.D., and Thor's not here. There isn't-"

"Excuse me," Loki interrupted calmly.

"Yes, Reindeer Games?" Tony muttered, more loud noised filtering through the line.

"I would like to…assist," Loki continued, choosing to ignore Stark's name calling. Silence surrounded him as everyone looked at him in astonishment. Even Stark was speechless.

"I'm not sure," Banner said. "We haven't told Fury you're here, and with the Chitauri suddenly here, it wouldn't look good for you."

He was surprised by the doctor's concern, but that wasn't going to stop him. "Then me destroying the threat would only be good for them to see," Loki smirked, the anticipation of battle already humming through his body.

"Fine," Stark responded finally. "Besides, since when do I care what S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks anyway? Suit up Reindeer Games, you're on deck." Then the connection went silent.

Loki couldn't help the malicious grin of his now. Finally, he could kill some Chitauri. He couldn't before when he lead them here years ago, no matter how much he wanted to. Now he was practically being handed the opportunity. An opportunity he wouldn't refuse.

"I think your evil is showing, Loki," Nora said, slightly anxious as she watched him carefully. He just grinned at her. This was the perfect chance to rid himself of some of his pent up frustration, and a way to enjoy himself all in one. Nothing could spoil this for him.

* * *

 **Hello Loki lovers! I present to you another chapter! I hope you liked it because I had fun writing it. The next chapter may take a little while to post because I'm currently on vacation, and it was my bday, and I won't be back home for a while. If you'd be so kind, a review would be the best bday present ever! Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Toodles -K**


	13. Chapter 13

Loki teleported onto the roof, surveying the quickest route to take towards the giant creature. He had told the one called Jarvis to inform Stark that he would take care of the flying beast. After quickly spotting the best way, Loki stepped off the roof of Stark tower and plummeted towards the ground. Wind whipped his hair and clothes, yet he couldn't wipe the grin from his face. Releasing a bit of his magic, he teleported mid-fall onto another building's roof, landing with a dull thud. Then he took off, sprinting along the edges of the buildings. He easily teleported along the rooftops in a slight zigzag pattern, quickly gaining on the Chitauri.

He could feel a slight drain on his magic, but that wasn't going to deter him. Teleporting short distances wouldn't deplete him too much; he'd still have plenty to kill the Chitauri with.

Excited, Loki sprinted a little quicker, gaining momentum as he moved through space several times. He couldn't deny the rush he felt by pushing his muscles, ready for battle. He wasn't nearly as battle hungry as Thor, or some of the other Asgardians, but he still appreciated the thrill of a battle. He was raised as an Asgardian after all.

Seeing the flying creature hovering closer towards him, Loki teleported to the other side of the street onto some skyscrapers. The large roof gave him plenty of room to sprint as quickly as he was able to in the short distance. Then he leapt off the ledge, flying through the air with trained ease.

He hit the back of the creature a little roughly, rolling forward to soften his landing, before running towards the head of the beast. He eyed the flickering sparks of purple energy along the creatures ridged back as he ran along the spine. A couple of the Chitauri soldiers crawled up the side of the creature, but he made quick work of them with some throwing knives. Quiet laughter escaped him as their bodies plummeted towards the ground gracelessly.

The large creature started to buck, trying to throw Loki off, but it had no such luck. Loki soon stood at the back of its neck, grinning. Moving his hands in fluid movements, Loki gathered his magic quickly, using only as much as he needed. His magic was difficult to utilize fully, but it would be more than enough for what he had planned.

Throwing his hands downwards and out, he sent his magic around the beats giant head. Concentrating, Loki slowly turned his arms in a counter-clockwise motion until his arms formed a loose circle. Grinning maniacally, he ripped his hands clockwise. The creature's head suddenly snapped to the right at an odd angle and began falling to the street, dead. Loki teleported to a nearby roof as to watch from a distance at his handiwork. He panted slightly, the drain on his magic a bit more than he had anticipated.

Perhaps he went overboard… But he couldn't bring himself to care.

The creature smashed into the earth, shaking the ground and surrounding buildings. The annoying reinforcement Chitauri soldiers leapt from the beast as it fell and landed on the ground. Summoning a few more throwing knives, he took a few of them out as he teleported to the street. Then he summoned two longer daggers, holding the hilts backwards, the blades stretching halfway down his forearms. A flash of nostalgia washed over him as his fighting reminded him of his mother and how she had trained him as a child. He took a stance as the Chitauri soldiers surrounded him, balancing his weight appropriately. There was a moment of stillness before he teleported and attacked the Chitauri mercilessly, cutting through Chitauri muscle and bone viciously.

* * *

Tony hovered in the air, completely taken aback by the wake of destruction Loki left behind him. Reindeer Games was having a field day.

Teleporting back and forth quickly, Loki cut through the Chitauri soldiers almost effortlessly graceful. All he used were a pair of long daggers and his magic. Tony had to admit that he was impressed. Especially after watching Loki take down the flying monster minutes after joining the fight. It sure as hell beat getting eaten by one of those things.

Spotting some stray Chitauri soldiers, Tony flew down and blasted them easily. Random people still ran around haphazardly through the streets. Rolling his eyes, Tony swooped down and blasted any Chitauri he came across trying to protect people.

 _Couldn't they just find somewhere inside to hide?_ he thought, shaking his head. Was running through the streets really necessary?

The Chitauri started to fire their weird alien guns randomly as they marched through the street. Tony had to keep flying in circles just to try and keep their attention from the citizens. While he had welcomed the distraction from the party, the people in the streets were testing his patience again. There were just too many of them drawing the Chitauri's fire for him to do much else then protect them and take out a few here and there.

"Where on Earth is Spangler?" Tony grumbled unhappily, taking out another enemy. "And next time I see Bruce, he's getting slapped in the head, Hulk or not."

"And that's why people say you don't work well with others, Stark," Steve's voice said inside his suit.

Tony grinned and laughed. "Welcome to the party, Cap. Although, you are fashionably late getting here, but better late than never and all that."

"Sorry," Steve apologized. Tony spotted him as he flew down the street, flinging the shield at some Chitauri. Finally, maybe they'd get somewhere. "Where's Banner?" Steve asked as Tony landed next to him.

"He decided to sit this one out I guess," Tony answered, looking around him, his mask pulling upwards.

"Then who-" Steve asked, gesturing to the giant fallen Chitauri in the street. "Your handiwork?"

"No, that was actually-" Tony was cut off by a Chitauri falling to the ground next to him. Steve drew his arm back to throw the shield, but immediately stood at ease.

"Loki?" Steve asked incredulously, blinking to make sure he was seeing correctly.

"Must I save you again, Stark?" Loki asked, appearing next to the two men. Tony looked at the Asgardian. He had a malicious glint in his eyes and a smirk on his face, while being slightly covered in some questionable things Tony didn't even want to think about too hard. Tony was definitely freaked out a little by Loki; he seemed to be having…fun. Don't get him wrong, Tony had as much fun as the next person during a battle, but he didn't think he had seen Loki have fun before.

"Yeah…" Tony muttered, still eyeing him oddly. "Thanks, Rudolph."

"You're welcome," Loki smirked, throwing one of his daggers to take out another Chitauri. There was only a handful of them left, plus the other flying one that had passed them not a few seconds before.

"So who's got the big one?" Steve asked, looking at Tony and Loki.

"I'll get it," Loki offered, immediately disappearing into thin air.

Steve looked after him, bemused, and Tony just shrugged. "He's got it. He's having the time of his life. It's a little creepy, but at least he's on our side this time."

Steve nodded sharply, "Alright, we're taking out the grunts then."

"On it, Cap," Tony saluted lazily, his mask falling into place and taking off into the air. Steve ran at the nearest Chitauri, throwing his shield as hard as he could.

* * *

Loki raced along the tops of the roofs of the city buildings, only teleporting when he absolutely had to. He was definitely low on magic and he could feel himself growing sluggish and fatigued by the depletion. Oh, how he wished he wasn't stuck in his Jotun form. All of these horrid creatures would have long since been destroyed. His luck was not such, it never had been. However, he was enjoying himself. He couldn't recall the last time he encountered such an opportunity.

Breathing deeply, Loki teleported and jumped from a high roof, once again landing on the creature's large back. He would have teleported onto the creature, but while his magic was limited in his form, it was also difficult to control at times. Teleporting onto a moving target would prove difficult.

Encountering no opposition, Loki weaved through the Chitauri's back, soon finding himself at the optimal location at the back of its neck. Taking a steadying breath, Loki widened his legs for balance as the creature tried to get rid of him. Ignoring the thrashing, Loki gathered his magic, repeating the motions once more. He could feel his magic roll over the creature gently, circling its neck and very physiology. While the creature had strange armor on, underneath was remarkably vulnerable.

His arms moved without thinking, his arms forming a circle. While concentrating, Loki nearly missed the slight sounds of footsteps behind him.

Looking behind him quickly, his eyes snapping open, he saw two Chitauri ready to strike him with their guns. He froze for a second. He couldn't protect himself. He was almost done with his magic to kill the creature. If he were to stop now, he would have wasted that magic and energy. Stopping midway through a spell would take more energy than it would just to finish it. Then he'd be left somewhat vulnerable as his magic broke.

He weighed his two options: Protecting himself and wasting magic, or killing the creature and ending up shot with their energy blasters. Getting shot wasn't ideal, but it wouldn't be a serious injury. He'd heal in a couple days.

Before he could make a decision, two arrows were shooting through the Chitauri's heads in a violent display. The Chitauri fell limply over the side of the beast and towards the ground. Looking over, Loki was surprised to see Barton standing on the roof of a skyscraper, aiming his bow at Loki now.

Loki eyed the archer suspiciously while he snapped his arms sideways, killing the creature. He stared at Barton as the creature fell with Loki on its head, the archer's aim still trained on the Asgardian. Loki silently dared the archer to attempt a shot at him; Loki's look promised retribution if he ended up shot through. Or blasted with an explosive attached to an arrow.

Barton gave him a "shit eating grin" as Stark would call it, and the archer loosed another arrow.

Immediately, Loki noticed that the arrow wouldn't hit him, but it came close as it whipped passed his ear. A sudden shriek sounded behind him, alerting Loki to another stray Chitauri behind him as it fell to its death.

Loki teleported to the ground as the dead flying Chitauri collided with the earth, taking a couple buildings out with it. He took deep, calming breaths, waiting for his pulse to slow. Stark and Steve soon caught up with him. Both seemed unharmed.

"So," Stark began. "How much damage do ya think we did?"

Loki eyed them curiously. Was this a serious concern to Midgardians? _If they didn't have buildings every ten feet, they wouldn't have to worry about any damages_ , he thought.

Steve looked around. "All in all, it's not too bad this time. Somehow," he murmured the last part to himself.

"Yeah, thanks to Loki," Stark said, his mask pulling upwards as he clapped Loki on the shoulder. "Seriously, Lokster, that was badass!"

Loki felt a small, yet thrilled, smirk reach his face. He usually wasn't praised for his battles and victories. Usually, people were praising his brother and the other Asgardian warriors, while they looked down on his "magic tricks". Half of them would be dead if not for him by now. Loki couldn't deny that he liked the acknowledgement.

"Good job, Loki," Steve nodded at him, giving him a genuine smile.

Stark leaned his arm against Loki. "I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative," he laughed. "Earth's mightiest heroes," he continued dramatically.

"But I-" Loki started, but was cut off by a rude scoffing noise.

Barton strode up to them, bow in hand. "You're welcome by the way," he told Loki, watching him wearily. Loki didn't respond, he just watched Barton as he held his bow in his hand near his hip, ready to use at a moment's notice. Loki did suppose, albeit reluctantly, that the archer had helped him. He hadn't saved his life, but the archer had helped a little. Loki gave the man a nod of thanks before he could think better of it. The archer raised his eyebrows in surprise, but otherwise stayed silent.

"Where's Nat?" Steve asked, breaking the semi-awkward silence.

Barton gestured behind him towards the tower only a few blocks away. "At the tower in case any had made it through us. I told her we had it, but she insisted. You know how she is."

"Yeah, she's just worried about Bruce," Stark commented with an eye roll.

Loki looked at the small group in confusion. Why would the assassin worry for the giant beast that could stand up to himself and Thor? Surely, the doctor could take care of himself.

Steve looked around the street quickly. There were still people running around here and there, while others were slowly coming out of the buildings to see if the battle was over. "Maybe we should head back before all the news reporters show up," he suggested.

Loki silently agreed while Stark made an exaggerated sigh. "Agreed. I've had it with idiot people for the night."

The archer chuckled. "Exciting day, Stark?"

"Monumentally thrilling," Stark deadpanned, as they started towards the tower. "Who's up for some food?"

* * *

 **So... I really don't have much of an excuse for this being so dang late. I just really haven't been in the writing mood lately (writer's block is really NOT a fun thing), so I hope this is up to par. I could really really use some kind of feedback, be it reviews or PMs or just saying a "cool story bro" would be monumentally helpful. And I'd like to thank Destiny's Prophet for their very kind review(s); you're the reason I actually made myself get on my laptop and finish this chapter.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed chapter 13. Hopefully, I can get another chapter out quicker this time. Cross your fingers and please leave a review or feedback. Toodles everyone! -K**


	14. Chapter 14

Nora bolted upright, gripping the blankets around her. It was just another nightmare, she repeated to herself in a mantra. She had been having nightmares more frequently lately since she had almost died. Surely that was normal, right? She _did_ almost die. Although, she couldn't remember the alien creature in her nightmares. Only encompassing fear and panic.

Automatically, Nora turned on the bed side lamp while grabbing her new Iron Man slippers. Tony had bought them for her as a "You can finally walk again!" gift for when she was officially off her crutches and out of the wheelchair. Everyone else had merely rolled their eyes and scoffed, only to find themselves with a new pair of their own the next day. Nora was fairly certain that only Darcy and herself wore the slippers, although Darcy had merchandise from every Avenger.

Flipping off the lamp, Nora darted towards the door while eyeing the darkness nervously. Logically, she knew nothing was there, but the remaining fear from her dreams lingered, making her mind conjure ethereal creatures ready to snatch her away. Opening the door, Nora let out a sigh as she was washed in the dim hallway lights, leaning against the wall for a moment.

 _These nightmares are really starting to be a pain..._

Almost automatically, Nora started heading upstairs towards the roof. Usually walking around helped calm her down, but being surrounded by fresh air and seeing the city below helped distract her from the remnants of her nightmares. Twenty eight- _step-_ twenty nine- _step-_ thirty, Nora counted as she padded up the stairs. Counting had also become habitual as she wondered the tower when she couldn't sleep.

Pushing the door open, Nora was instantly washed in the chilly air and the twinkling stars and the faint sounds of the city below. She cracked a smile as she spotted Loki's silhouette in the darkness. She would see him occasionally on the nights she would wonder around the tower after her nightmares. Sometimes he was messing with Tony's computers and gadgets, other times he was reading in various places, and sometimes he was sitting on the roof.

She made her way towards him slowly and silently, the urge to scare him far too tempting. He didn't seem to hear her as she crept closer, but once she got near him-nearly two feet away- he still hadn't registered her presence. _Man, he's really out of it,_ she thought. Then she noticed in what little light she had, that he was... smiling. _He's handsome when he smiles,_ she thought. A genuine smile, not a scheming one full of mischief, or his murderous one. The latter one was a bit terrifying.

"Caught you smiling," Nora teased him, gently sitting on the edge of the roof next to him. She may not be afraid of heights but she was careful not to move too fast around the edge. He started as she sat down, turning to look at her in surprise. _Guess I scared him after all._ "Aaaand now you're grimacing," Nora pursed her lips, shaking her head slightly. He remained silent as she swung her legs back and forth over the edge. "How'd you like the Italian earlier?" she asked him, trying to break the silence. Where their silence was usually comfortable, she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. She wanted a distraction.

"It was odd. Mediocre," he answered plainly.

She narrowed her eyes while humming her disbelief. She had seen how he had eaten all of his food quickly and ate nearly everything extra they had ordered in. Tony had declared that they were all going out to eat once the guys had returned from fighting with the Chitauri. After some complaints and debating from Clint, and a few none-too-subtle threats from Natasha, Tony decided ordering in was far better than leaving the tower. Making some quick calls to a restaurant he frequented, Tony told them it would be a bit before everything arrived. Apparently the team eating together after a battle (of any size) had become a sort of tradition for the Avengers since they became a team.

Noticing he wasn't going to say anything else, Nora tried another topic. "So how does your magic work? You took out those aliens quickly enough," she wondered, looking at him. Trying to mentally will him to answer.

"It was easy really," he commented, still looking up to the night sky. After a solid three minutes, Nora leaned forward and looked at him expectantly. Usually he'd tell her if he didn't feel like talking or answering her endless questions, and she'd usually be quiet. Or he'd teleport away if she was particularly relentless. He was still sitting there so she hadn't annoyed him quite yet. Clearing her throat, she continued to look at him pointedly.

He rolled his eyes to look at her finally. "It is complicated the way magic works. It is unlike your films of wizards and witches."

"Harry Potter is awesome," she defended easily with a smirk, "but do continue: I'm curious."

For once, he seemed at a loss for words. "Magic is... almost alive. It is a fluid energy that surrounds us and is a part of us..." His face scrunched slightly as he tried to think, to explain.

"Don't strain yourself," she chuckled at his face. He shot her a dark look and she apologized quickly. She had spoken without thinking again, forgetting he didn't always know when she was joking with him.

"It is not easy to explain to someone without it," Loki said a bit forcefully. "Most think magic is but simple tricks and deceit, but it is much more complicated than that. No one has ever asked me to explain it before." He let out a quiet sigh, "If Mother were here she'd know exactly how to explain it."

"Well how did _she_ explain it?" Nora asked the obvious question.

Loki gave her a sardonic look. "It's been a few years since I learned the essence of magic."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Nora apologized, feigning sincerity. "I forgot you were an old man. Your memory must be failing you. Forgive my asking," she continued, playfully bowing her head and putting a hand to her chest.

"I'm not _that_ old!" he declared, sputtering slightly, and she burst into laughter. He was so easy to get a rise out of sometimes, and it was exactly what she had needed. The faint memories of her nightmare starting to vanish.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was only kidding," she laughed quietly, wiping her eyes. Narrowing his eyes, Loki suddenly stood up, gesturing for her to stand as well. "You're finally going to throw me off the roof aren't you?" she asked, looking up at him.

"It's tempting," he grinned, slightly evil. "Now focus on me for a moment."

Standing, she scrunched her face in confusion, but she didn't argue. He just stood there in front of her, towering over her, standing a few feet away. Nora lasted standing there for about thirty seconds before she opened her mouth to ask what the heck he was doing. Suddenly, something grabbed her shoulders firmly from behind her, nearly making her shriek. Instinctively, she jammed her elbow backwards and jumped forward towards Loki. Only she passed right through him in a quick flash of light, making her stumble slightly.

Frowning, she turned to see him grinning mischievously. "Not nice," she muttered, trying to calm her startled heart. After a moment she pulled herself together. "How did you do that? I was watching you the whole time!" She recalled him doing something similar in Asgard when they were attacked.

"Magic," he answered obviously, making her roll her eyes at him. "I simply made a duplicate of myself and cloaked my real self invisible. Either is quite simple by themselves, although creating exact copies does take practice." He seemed to lose himself in a memory before he focused on Nora again. "As you saw, the copy was just an illusion. Creating solid copies is a lot more difficult and takes more concentration and control."

"What else can you do?" she asked. "I've seen you throw energy around and move objects."

Holding his hands up, energy began to flow through his fingers until it covered his hands. "The energy itself isn't actually hard to manifest. Changing its properties is slightly more challenging, but easy for most," he told her, the small wisps of energy turning into tiny flames. The flames quickly turned into jagged little streaks that crackled light lightning. "I used to tease Thor that I should have become the god of thunder because I could summon lightning like this before he could," he smiled, staring at his hands. "But alas, it was him who Mjolnir chose and granted that power, so I stuck with my magic," he continued, the lightning energy turning back into little wisps. "Moving objects is mostly just force of will with slight amounts of magic involved. It is one of the most basic feats to accomplish."

"And the teleporting?" Nora asked, excited about learning what magic was and could do.

"That is more complicated in a sense. You can imagine your destination and utilize magic to move your body to the desired location. Or you could put a portal of sorts through the space around you and your destination, creating a sort of doorway."

"What's the difference?" Nora's head tilted to the side. She was fairly certain this was the most she had ever heard Loki talk, and she was enjoying it.

"Teleporting is more for one person, maybe a few if the practitioner is skilled enough. Portals are more for group travel. The portals take up a lot more magic to maintain, and the bigger the portal the more practitioners are needed to create it and make it stable. I read somewhere that portals were the choice of transport through the realms before the Asgardians discovered the Bifrost eons ago. But no one seems to be able to create such portals anymore. There seem to be natural portals between the realms, just tiny fissures of magic that allow for quick travel. No one seems to know who created them, or what's keeping them in place."

Nora tried to soak up all the information quickly as he explained. He may have said it was difficult to explain to her, but she thought he was doing a fine job. It wasn't too complicated but he wasn't treating her like an idiot either. "Awesome," she breathed after a moment. Asgardian history and magic seemed very interesting. She wondered if Loki would mind translating some books for her.

"There's also telepathy, and what mortals call mind control, among other things," he continued on.

"So you can just get inside people's heads?" she asked.

"The mind is a fragile thing," he told her, tapping one of his fingers to one of his temples. "It is easily invaded and influenced in most cases, unless the person learns to shield themselves to a certain extent. It takes many years of practice and discipline. Although, such use of magic is not always used for darker purposes, but most view that magic as a form of dark magic, and do not study it anymore. It's not a forbidden practice of magic, just extremely frowned upon in most circles."

"And do you? Or have you? Do you know how to get inside someone's mind?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Do you not remember when I came for the Tesseract years ago?" he scoffed, crossing his arms.

"I thought it was the scepter's influence?"

"A mix," he shrugged.

She searched his face for a moment, sensing a change in his demeanor as if he were closing himself off again. "So how is that magic used for "non dark" purposes?" she continued, changing the subject back from his invasion of New York.

"Telepathy for one; communicating without words is a good skill to have," he rattled off quickly. "But one can do a lot more than project thoughts or receive them from people around them. Getting inside someone's mind can do more damage than good if the person is unwilling or fighting the magic. It can make one go crazy. On the other hand, the person getting into someone's head essentially has the power to influence them in any way, make them see whatever they want. One can show someone a paradise, or play on their deepest fears. It is a versatile magic."

Ok... she could see the magic getting dark now... "Surely not everyone who practiced this ran around controlling people...?" she trailed off, shuddering at the thought of someone invading her brain like that.

"Not at all. Some were artists, using whatever people imagined as their muse and inspiration. Similarly, some seamstresses would use it if someone wanted a very particular style of dress. Not only can a magic wielder get inside someone's head, we can bring those images to life for a short time, just as examples," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's... amazing," Nora told him lamely. It was more than that, but it was all she could come up with at the moment. "Magic is so cool."

He inhaled deeply, and released his breath slowly. "Magic taxes on the user after a while," he told her after she looked at him closely. "The fatigue from the battle earlier is catching up to me, I will be alright after a few hours of rest."

"You could've told me you wanted to rest!" Nora told him, suddenly feeling bad. And here she had kept asking questions when all he probably wanted to do was rest in the quiet of the night. She was a terrible friend. She had wanted a distraction from her nightmares, she hadn't even thought about if he had wanted company. Although, he wasn't one to shy around leaving if he had enough of her questions. "I'm sorry," she told him. "Did you want to sit out here alone? Do you want me to go?" Granted, it was a bit too late if he had wanted to be alone.

He looked shocked she would suggest such a thing, and she remembered him mostly alone on Asgard. Perhaps he wanted the company, but didn't quite know how to go about asking for it. "It's quite alright," he told her, sitting back down on the edge. "I know your nightmares have kept you up often these past weeks. I'm glad to be useful, and you keep me distracted," he continued gently, looking back out into the expanse of the city.

Nora looked out, still standing, and saw the sky starting to lighten as the morning began. _How long had they been out there?_ she wondered. Her heart squeezed in sympathy for him. She knew he was probably bored out of his skull by now on Earth, but he never left the tower other than to fight the Chitauri. He was happy to be useful? Who said that? Just how had the Asgardians treated him while he was back in his home?

She exhaled sharply in slight annoyance for Loki's situation, and sat next to him again on the roof. Instead of dwelling on the increasing somber mood, Nora gave him a lazy salute. "Glad to be of service!" she smirked. "If there's ever anyone you need to ask a million and a half questions about anything, I'm your girl!"

He smiled at her, eyes still on the horizon. Feeling the mood lighten a little, Nora watched the horizon too. Watching as the sun crept over the tallest buildings, they fell back into their comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts before they each returned to the tower to finally rest.

* * *

"Whoa there, Elsa!" Stark exclaimed, pulling Loki from his thoughts. Blinking, Loki watched as a thin layer of ice had worked its way near one of Stark's computers. He hadn't meant to of course, Loki had just been lost in his thoughts. Thoughts that only aggravated him, leaving him mentally fuming and worried. It had been two weeks now since he had been banished to Midgard, and yet there was no news whatsoever on the happenings of Asgard.

"Who is this Elsa?" Loki asked, not apologizing. Instead, he welcomed Stark's distraction from his increasingly infuriating thoughts.

Stark just laughed. "She's a Disney princess-well, queen I guess- who has crazy ice powers," he explained, pulling down his welding mask once more as he began working on another suit.

Did the man have any other hobbies? Loki wondered, scrunching his nose at the odd burning smell. Taking that as a good reason to leave, Loki sighed. He had hoped Stark would prove a better distraction from the ever growing boredom. Stark's fortress may not be as stifling as Loki's chambers on Asgard, but it was beginning to feel the same. It was still a "prison".

 _A gilded cage is still a cage,_ Loki thought, walking up the staircase. His footsteps thudded loudly on each step as he made his way to the main living floor. Surely someone would be up there to occupy his time. Doctor Banner had been sent to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility to help with some experiment across the country. The Captain had been oddly absent for a couple days as well, with little communication as to why, not that Loki really _cared._ But it would be _something_ to focus on for a short while. Darcy- who was nearly as fun to mess with as Nora- was gone with Thor's woman to some grand colleges to teach humans about the Bifrost and the realms. Loki merely rolled his eyes at that. He doubted she understood much about the Bifrost and its workings, even if she was intelligent. The other scientist, Erik, had clearly avoided the tower and Loki himself. Pepper had been working as usual, but had just left a few days ago to visit Stark's other home on the other side of the country for a few days of vacation. The other members of the Avengers had gone out as well. With nearly everyone absent, the tower was almost creepily quiet.

Rounding the corner to the living room, Loki spotted Nora in the kitchen. She was opening every pantry door and... dancing? At least, that's what it looked like, although Loki had never seen such dancing in his entire life. She had white cords hanging from her ears that lead into the pockets of her loose sweat pants. Headphones, they were called, Loki remembered. He could hear her singing softly, just a couple words here and there, his ears also picking up on the faint sound of music.

Oddly fascinated and surprised, Loki stood in the entryway. Nora bounced on her toes, moving her shoulders and hips in some kind of rhythm, still yet to turn and see him. Well, it wasn't quite the distraction he was aiming for, but it would do.

It took her about three more seconds before Nora twirled around, finally spotting him standing in the hallway. He was interested to see how she would react as she usually surprised him. He could usually read people well enough (though Midgardians were a bit trickier sometimes), but Nora usually did something he hadn't even considered.

"Yo, Loki," she waved, silently mouthing words to herself as she turned. Loki assumed it was more lyrics to her strange music, as she did not address him further. She did, however, pull one of the cords from her ears and wrapped it around the back of her neck.

"Hello," he responded, walking past the living room and into the kitchen curiously. "What _are_ you doing?" he asked as he came to the kitchen island, watching as she still rummaged through the cabinets.

"I'm looking for food!" she told him, her voice a bit louder than a normal speaking level.

"Did Pepper not procure the food as she usually does before she left?" he asked, brows pulling down slightly. Pepper was notoriously meticulous. Surely she hadn't forgotten.

Sighing, Nora pulled the other cord from her ear and turned towards him, leaning back against the sink. "Yeah, she went a couple days before she left, but she's been crazy busy so she could have a few days off, so I guess she didn't get to it. Not that I'm going to complain to her, she needed a break." Then she made a face, "And somehow I don't see Tony doing all the grocery shopping for everyone."

"Certainly not," Loki agreed. He was sure Stark would just buy whatever was easiest, and most likely alcoholic.

Nora suddenly hit her palms on the kitchen island. "That's it," she announced dramatically. "You and me, we're going grocery shopping."

 _Had she lost her mind?_

"I'm not crazy, so you can stow that look away," she grumbled. "I'm sure you're in need of a couple hours away from the tower too. Besides, with as much as you and Steve eat, and all the snacks Tony and Clint consume on a daily basis, I'm going to need help carrying the bags."

He gave her a look of uncertainty. Could he leave the tower? He had never really thought about it; he had just resigned himself there. Then again, there was always potential problems with S.H.I.E.L.D. finding out he was on Midgard, if they didn't already know. Although, if they knew, Loki thought they would be swarming the tower with their useless guns and cuffs to restrain him.

"We can disguise you and everything!" Nora told him encouragingly. "I'm sure someone here has some clothes that would probably fit you. Plus, you can use a little magic if you need to blend in, right?"

Loki wanted to frown at her. He may be handicapped in his ways of magic, but a simple spell to "blend in" was easily conjured. Sensing no immediate denial, she asked again, a somewhat hopeful look in her eyes. He wondered why she wanted him to go. Surely she didn't want him to join for the pleasure of his company. He had been slightly snappish as of late, and she had faced his foul moods on more than one occasion. Instead of being offended, she had merely raised her hands placating and left him alone.

But she was right... he had wanted out of the tower... and the boredom was beginning to be unbearable... He hadn't counted the tiles in the ceiling yet... but it was only a matter of time...

And that was how he ended up in the passenger seat of a Midgardian automobile- or car as it was referred to- watching how the vehicle functioned. His mind filled with questions, but he only asked if he was completely lost. He preferred the satisfaction of figuring things out on his own. Nora tried to explain the best she could when he did finally ask a question, but she told him to ask Stark for his more mechanical questions.

After driving for about half an hour (the streets were busy with construction due to the Chitauri attack), Nora pulled into a large lot filled with more cars. They were everywhere he looked, of various shapes and sizes and colors. He hadn't truly gotten a chance to be surrounded by the Midgardian machinery of transportation. Other than when he first traveled to Midgard using the Tesseract's power. Holding onto the back of a vehicle hardly gave him the chance to question its inner workings.

Coming to a stop, Nora moved a lever and turned the key, causing the car to stop functioning. She got out and Loki followed suit. Habitually, Loki tried to straighten his clothes (years of the importance of looking ones best drilled into his head) only to remember he had on different clothes. He had found some of Thor's old clothes from his brother's previous stays on Midgard. Some clothes were entirely too big and lay oddly against Loki's slimmer form, before Nora suggested a simple pair of _jeans_ and a slightly large jacket over a _t-shirt._ Those clothes, she assured, would make him look like a normal person and blend in more, unlike some of the other expensive and flashy looking clothes his brother had sitting in the closet. _He must've been trying to impress his woman_ , Loki smirked.

"Ready?" Nora asked, jamming a thumb over her shoulder at the large building behind her. The sun had begun its descent and she blocked the sun out of her eyes. After a quick nod, she began leading the way inside. Mentally, Loki made sure that his spells were in place around him. These spells wouldn't make him invisible per say, just highly forgettable if anyone paid him any attention. He would be just another face in the crowd. Being invisible was one of his better abilities, with (or without) magic it seemed. _A master of disguise,_ Nora had called him, before bursting into a fit of giggles. Despite being confused at her giggling, Loki found he quite enjoyed talking of his magic to someone else. No one else bothered to ask, besides his mother and few enchantresses on Asgard. Thor had begun asking questions, but his responsibilities as heir to the throne usually took up his spare time.

Loki looked at the large building in curiosity once they entered through doors that opened automatically as they approached. Mortals went about every which way inside the store, though there seemed to be a general flow to the entire shopping process. Nora grabbed a cart and lead the way, telling Loki to keep up and to grab anything that caught his eye. She had apparently asked Stark for some odd card that would act as currency. He wasn't sure if she had told Stark that he was tagging along, but it was a bit too late for that. Not that he particularly minded now. It had been a while since he had done something remotely rebellious, having trying to get back in Asgard's good graces. He had nearly forgotten the small thrill, and how liberating it could feel. Even if it was just a trip to the grocery store. Loki still waited for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to swoop in and demand his capture, for he was sure he'd be an unwelcome guest in their eyes.

Investigating most of the food they passed, Loki made minimal contributions to Nora's nearly full cart of food. He had only added some fresh fruit he had found (they reminded him of the fruits on Asgard) and very few boxes of snacks he found enjoyable from raiding Stark's pantries.

After making sure he was ready, they headed towards the long lines near the front of the store, waiting their turn. Once they reached the odd machine that beeped incessantly- a register Nora had told him- the mortal behind the counter had announced their total. Loki was unsure of how much money it was in Midgardian terms, but the way Nora's eyes popped open made it seem like a fairly decent amount of money. After a swipe of the strange card, they were given a slip of paper and walked out, the food contained in large colored bags. Putting the bags in the car and returning the cart, Nora began to drive them back to Stark's fortress.

"Not all that exciting, but it got us out of the tower for a while right?" Nora shrugged, after she started driving down the busy road.

"It wasn't terrible," he answered. "Quite different than the dealings in Asgard." His eyes roamed outside the car at the people and buildings. This truly was a populated area.

"Definitely," she agreed. "Well, I got to show you some of Earth after you showed me around Asgard. Anywhere else you want to go while we're out? It'd only be fair, seeing as you showed me all around your realm for a day."

Loki snorted. " I should drag you to every one of these buildings then if you want _fair_. I seem to remember you being interested in _everything_ we came across."

"Hey, I was interested, thank you very much!" she protested.

"Oh yes, the royal armory and blacksmiths were at the top of your list of places to visit, I'm sure. And the palace's washrooms are always the first to be shown to visitors," he muttered sarcastically, looking over at her as she weaved through traffic and roadwork.

"Busted," she chuckled under her breath. "I was trying to see how long you'd show me around before getting annoyed."

He nodded. He supposed since she was being honest... "I may have walked you in a few circles in the palace," he told her hesitantly as he looked back out the window.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, gently slapping his arm. "That's just mean, but I suppose it's alright. I mean, you had to walk in the circles too. You suffered right along with me," she chuckled evilly this time.

Loki felt a smile pulling at his face. Where most people would be beside themselves with annoyance had they learned he lied and led them in circles, Nora just shrugged and accepted it, laughing while she did so.

Making a sudden noise of excitement, Nora suddenly looked behind the car quickly and pulled over into a parking spot. Stark's fortress looming a short distance in front of them. "We have to stop and get some ice cream. Darcy showed me this place when I was still on my crutches. It's delicious," she rambled quickly, excitedly. He watched after her in slight confusion, as she exited the car and bounded to his side and opened his door. "Well come on," she demanded when he sat there for a moment longer than she wanted.

They walked into the shop, Nora practically bouncing on her toes like a child. There were only half a dozen tables spread through the small space inside, with a few booths lining the walls. A long, glass case filled up most of the back of the store. Loki could feel the slight dip in temperature the shop provided, compared to the outside. The slightly frigid temperature more preferred as he was. Nora bound ahead, the only people in front of them turning to leave with colorful cups of oddly colors spheres.

"Nora, is that you? Already healed up, I see," a woman's voice called, bringing Loki's attention back towards the large glass container.

"Sure am! Although, it's been a couple weeks since I've been here ya know," Nora responded happily.

Watching the exchange made Loki feel a twinge of jealousy. She made friends easily, as did his brother. How he wished he had that natural ability. Instead he had adopted his sweet and sly words to gain a similar reaction, gaining him the notorious title of Silvertongue. But that was more of his ability to play people, trick them when he so needed. His talents were not an innate magnetism and likeability, but instead simple observation and cunning.

"Alright, Maddy, hook me up with the usual," Nora told the middle-aged woman behind the counter. The woman had short red hair that was only inches long and spiked just so. The woman also had a slight build, and several tattoos covering parts of her body.

"Will do, kiddo. You want the new holiday stuff I'm trying out?" the woman asked, putting on a pair of clear gloves. "It's on the house; I'm trying to get out samples for now."

"Yes!" Nora responded enthusiastically. "What about you, Loki? What looks good?"

He walked up to the case and looked down at the contents of the odd glass container. He spotted several colored tubes, but saw nothing particularly appealing about them. The woman looked momentarily startled as she registered his presence finally, the spell still cloaking him somewhat.

"I'm sorry, what would you like?" the woman asked him, smiling politely yet awkwardly.

After making a noncommittal noise, he picked once aimlessly, hating the somewhat awkward silence. He had never consumed this ice cream before and he didn't know what to pick. He had seen Pepper and Stark eat it, and the other residents of the tower, but he had yet to try any. She nodded at his choice and began filling up a small cup with multiple scoops and handed them over the counter.

"Darcy's not coming this time?" the woman asked Nora. "She's usually in here at least every other day."

"Nope," Nora answered, paying with a different card from Stark's. "She's with Jane and Erik for the next few days. I'm sure she'll be in here first thing when she gets back, sniffing out all those samples you mentioned."

"I'm sure she will. That girl can smell a free sample from a mile away," the woman laughed, her eyes crinkling slightly at the corners. "You two have a good night. I'm glad you're better Nora!"

"Thanks, Maddy! You're the best," Nora waved, the tiny spoon sticking out from her mouth in a half eaten bite. She lead Loki back towards the doors, while taking a huge bite and sighing happily. Then she looked at him expectantly. "Well, go on. Take a bite. I didn't pay for it for you to let it melt-" she made a face, "-can it melt with you holding it?" Then she shrugged and reached for the door, only to have it open before she could pull it.

Loki froze before Nora did.

He eyed the man for any signs of a weapon, not wanting to cause a scene. Loki was sure the man held some on his person, concealed; but it seemed he wanted to blend in too. Director Fury stood before them in casual dark clothes, eyeing Loki harshly. The man must've known he was on Midgard, because he didn't look surprised to see him.

 _This is just perfect,_ Loki sneered slightly, thinking to himself. If the man thought to capture him again, he was going to be very disappointed. He had no intention of being captured again.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! It's been a while... So sorry! My muse has all but flipped me the bird while drinking a margarita as she disappears on a boat... It's made for a struggle to finally write or type anything. I have no intentions on giving up on this story; I have a great many things planned for it. Anyhow, thank you to all the readers and those who follow/favorite/review, you guys keep me going! I made this chapter extra long, as I was going to separate it into two chapters, but I think I've made you wait long enough. Hope you guys like it! And hopefully the next chapter will not take as long to write. Toodles! -K**


	15. Chapter 15

"Director," Loki muttered, seemingly civil.

Nora looked back and forth quickly between the two, a pit forming in her stomach. She hadn't recognized the man as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but she had never met the man before. She had only heard vague details from Tony or off comments from different members of the Avengers. Instantly, she noticed that Fury had an eye patch and she nearly wanted to sigh. It seemed Loki had a type of person he didn't get along with; having an eye patch seemed to be a requirement. Fury still looked intimidating, regardless of his past injuries. He just stood there stoically as he stared at Loki, and paid Nora no attention.

"Why don't we sit and have a chat?" Fury told them, making the statement sound like an order.

Loki didn't respond, and instead just stood there eyeing the man before them. He didn't seem to have any intention on doing as Fury had asked, and Nora began to fidget slightly. This was all her fault. If she hadn't wanted ice cream they could be back at the tower by now, or if she hadn't convinced him to leave the tower in the first place...

"Very well," Loki finally answered, sounding disinterested. "Go on to Stark's fortress," he told Nora, gesturing for her to continue on out of the small shop. Nora noticed he didn't say if he'd come back.

She searched his eyes quickly, before nodding and heading towards the door. He was trying to keep her out of it, she assumed. He could always teleport away if he needed to, right? He wouldn't be in any danger... she hoped. She only took a couple steps forward before Fury stood in her path.

"You too," he ordered, finally turning his attention to her. Nora swallowed hard; he may not have the nearly overpowering presence that Odin held, but Fury was definitely intimidating. Maybe she had a small probably with the visually impaired too... "I'd rather not cause a scene," Fury continued as she stood there silently. "Sit."

 _I'm not a dog,_ she couldn't help but think as she picked the closest booth to sit in. Thankfully she managed to keep that to herself, but she couldn't hold back a slight huff at him. Intimidated or not, she didn't care for suddenly being ordered around. She sensed Loki didn't either if his narrowed eyes and tense posture were any indication. Reaching out, she tugged on his jacket sleeve, giving him a look. The sooner this was over, the sooner they could get back.

"To what do I owe this sudden and unpleasant interaction?" Loki asked after they had sat down. Nora was caged between the wall and Loki to her right, while Fury sat in the middle of his own seat.

"Just wondering what Thor's crazy brother is doing running around my planet, unsupervised," Fury told them, a forced nonchalance to his tone.

Loki let out a quick derisive bark of laughter. "I wasn't aware this was _your_ planet."

"It is when a psycho alien who killed countless people shows up unexpected. Which brings me back to my point: what are you doing here?" Fury asked again, placing an arm on the table.

Nora watched as Loki gave him a mocking smirk and took a slow bite of his ice cream, no doubt making Fury wait for an answer. She probably would have chuckled a little at his somewhat childish tactics, but since she was literally trapped with the two at the table, she found she didn't care much for it.

"I'm merely strengthening the bond between Asgard and Midgard," Loki lied smoothly. While Nora knew it was a blatant lie, she was slightly impressed by how true he made it sound.

"That's what we have Thor and his friends for," Fury retorted casually. "I hardly think you'd be the one to send for diplomacy. I find it damn convenient that you show up and the Chitauri start appearing in the city not long after."

"My brother can hardly remain at your beck and call. I was sent in his absence to spend some time on Midgard. And I believe my presence was an advantage in that instance," Loki smiled falsely pleasant while his eyes sparkled arrogantly.

"Hardly," Fury commented. "We could have handled it. Your arrival here being kept a secret, Loki, is hardly a way to build...trust." Fury's face twisted slightly at the word trust, like it left a bad taste in his mouth. Nora wasn't sure if it was because the words trust and Loki were in the same sentence, or if the idea of trust was a foreign concept to the man.

"He's hardly reigned destruction while he's been here. He destroyed the Chitauri, that's hardly suspicious behavior," Nora defended, finally contributing to the conversation. She immediately regretted it as Fury gave her a pointed look.

"And you're an expert, suddenly?" Fury quirked an eyebrow at her, his tone condescending. "You don't quite have enough knowledge to weigh in here, Nora Lewis. For all you know, he's already gotten inside your head, controlling you like a puppet."

Nora bit the inside of her bottom lip, trying not to retort whatever went through her brain. She wasn't sure Fury would like to be called a choice word or two. Besides, she wouldn't even be sitting at the booth had Fury not wanted her to be there anyway. She could be at Stark Tower eating her ever-melting ice cream, while playing with Tony's inventions. And what did he mean she was probably being mind controlled by Loki? She was fairly certain if Loki wanted to control her, then she wouldn't be bothering him with incessant questions all the time, and forcing him to leave the tower for a while.

He was partially right, however. She was just a fairly normal girl who didn't know much about the realms and all the things that were surely being kept from the world. Having got to visit Asgard at all was something only few could ever dream of. She knew S.H.I.E.L.D. had plenty of secrets, Tony often said so himself as he continuously hacked into their systems. Tony never really told her any specifics for safety purposes, which was only slightly annoying. But she knew when _not_ to ask questions, too. Her life was not worth some secret.

Before she could respond, Maddy came into her peripheral vision at the end of the table. "Is everything alright over here?" she asked, looking at all of them closely.

"We're fine," Fury told her, verbally dismissing her.

Maddy huffed unimpressed and looked over to Nora and Loki. "Everything okay you two?"

Nora nodded quickly, not wanting Maddy to get dragged into the weird situation she found herself in. Seriously, how did she manage to do this to herself? Did the universe hate her or something? Maybe she was just unlucky.

Maddy looked to Loki until he nodded his okay, before she turned back to Fury. "These two are friends of mine, and I'm not shy about kicking people from my shop, got it?" she told him sharply.

 _Holy crap,_ Nora thought, eyes widening while she tried not to grin. Loki didn't even try to hide the smug twist of his lips as he watched Fury in satisfaction. Nora made it a mental note to thank Maddy for her friendship and eat at her shop every day she could. By the look on Fury's face, Nora wasn't sure there'd be enough ice cream she could buy to thank the woman properly.

"Understood," Fury finally responded quietly but firmly. Maddy stared him down for a second longer before she walked back towards the register. Then he focused back on them quickly. "Now, back to our discussion."

Loki scoffed. "I hardly call this a discussion, more of an ambush really. But as I've already stated, quite plainly for even your mortal brain to comprehend, I am hardly a threat to you as of now. Surely you have more pressing matters than me attempting to enjoy some ice cream?"

"And I can suddenly trust your word," Fury rolled his eyes...well, eye. "I just want you off my planet, and I'll leave you alone."

Loki went to retort something scathing no doubt, before he suddenly turned his attention to outside the shop. "Don't tell me it's more Chitauri," Nora muttered quietly, praying to any and all deities out there.

"No," Loki answered. "It's the Bifrost." Loki jumped up from the booth and darted outside, looking around quickly. After a split second, Nora slid from the booth and followed him. She heard Fury scrambling to keep up behind her.

The street seemed to be washed in a pale blue light as she spotted the cascading energy that was the Bifrost. It was reaching down on Tony's roof from what Nora could tell, but something about it seemed _off._ The couple times she had traveled through it, the energy seemed refined, weightless even. As it reached down, it looked like the energy was being almost forced down, like a spouting faucet with too much pressure.

"What's wrong with it?" she wondered aloud, staring at the energy as she caught up to Loki who was standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Looks like you won't be having to worry about me after all, Director," Loki stated quickly, reaching his hand towards Nora's shoulder. She only had an instant before she realized he meant to teleport them to Stark Tower. Her surrounding changed from a crowded city street to the quiet roof of the tower in the blink of an eye. Almost prepared for teleporting, Nora still stumbled slightly upon impact on the roof. Thankfully, her vision hadn't gone blurry (much) and she didn't feel sick like the last time.

"Where is Loki?" a woman's voice demanded.

Nora turned and spotted Sif and Hogun walking towards Tony who stood in the doorway to the stairwell. "I already told you, Xena," Tony grumbled, standing his ground as Sif made her way towards him. She seemed slightly threatening in Nora's opinion, and she couldn't help but wonder why.

"Listen well, Man of Iron. We were tasked with bringing Loki back to Asgard. If you remain in our way, friend of Thor's or not-"

"Sif!" Loki snapped, interrupting her threat to Tony.

Tony looked over and sagged in relief as Sif turned towards Loki and Nora, forgetting about him completely. He put his arms up in surrender and took a few steps backwards.

"We are to return immediately," Sif demanded Loki, coming to a stop a few feet from him. She eyed his clothes for a second, before focusing intently again. Hogun remained quiet behind Sif, his posture straight and formal, like a man on a mission.

"What happened?" Loki asked, trying to read Sif, although she gave nothing away in her posture or gaze.

She merely shook her head in response. "I only know of what I was instructed, and that was for Hogun and I to return you to Asgard, upon royal orders, and to do so with haste."

Nora took a couple steps to the side, trying to give them space. She had wanted to greet Thor's Asgardian friends, but now was not the time and she didn't think they'd appreciate it. Loki nodded to Sif stiffly, and turned to Tony who was still watching the whole situation. "I thank you for your hospitality, Stark."

"No problem, Loki. Anytime," Tony told him, a small smile on his face.

Then he turned to Nora and nodded his head to her in a silent thank you. "Be careful," she whispered. She wasn't sure he heard her, but he immediately headed into the energy produced by the Bifrost, flanked by Sif and Hogun. The three immediately disappeared along with the bright energy, leaving her vision dotted with bright spots.

As she stood there trying to see normally again, she couldn't help but to get a bad feeling in the back of her mind about what just happened. Why would they call him back so suddenly, and nearly threateningly? What had happened? After a few moments, she shook her head at herself. The answers weren't going to magically appear to her, and worrying about something she couldn't figure out would only drive her insane. She could only hope for the best, and wish Loki well. He was finally going home, after all.

"You know what that was all about?" Tony asked her as she made her way inside.

"No idea," she shook her head. Looking down, she noticed she was still holding her ice cream so she took a quick bite. She had nearly forgotten she had it in her hands after the whole weird confrontation with Fury, and Sif and Hogun showing up so suddenly. "Loki and I were just trying to get some ice cream, and then Fury showed up and kept us at the shop when all I wanted to do was get back with-"Nora swore, cutting off her sentence. "I forgot about the groceries." Tony just laughed, and told her he'd take care of it. Or more precisely, he'd get Happy to take care of it. She counted herself lucky: She wouldn't have to run into Fury again.

* * *

 _Be careful,_ Nora had told him, an undertone of worry in her voice. Loki would have normally rolled his eyes at her concern, but he felt a little grateful for it now. Whatever had caused his sudden return from Midgard didn't sit well with him. He found his heart starting to pound harshly in his chest, a sense of anxiety filling his mind. The only reason he would've been called to return were to be if they had caught the creature and cleared his name of any and all allegations; unlikely, considering the creature was contained in Stark's fortress still.

Unless they had learned what he truly was...

That line of thought drove a quick spike of panic into his heart. They couldn't know. They couldn't. Unless they had finally figured it out somehow... Or someone had told. White hot rage flowed through him, making his hands clench as they landed in the lookout of the Bifrost. The only ones who knew were Thor, his mother, Hogun, Heimdall, and Odin. Of all mentioned persons, Odin seemed to be the only one who would do such a thing.

 _So much for our truce, Old Man,_ Loki seethed mentally. It would just be so like Odin to banish him, reveal his darkest secret, and then call for his return to be most likely executed. His hands clenched so tight he heard a slight cracking noise. Looking down, Loki realized he still held his cup of ice cream. The sweet treat -now frozen solid- had cracked and fractured inside the cup under the pressure of his grip.

 _Be careful._

Careful, not irrational. Loki forced himself to take a deep breath, gathering the reigns of his control. He did not know why he was suddenly called to return, even if he had suspicions. And if he was to be called for his execution, he'd do so with what dignity and regality he could manage. How many times had he called Thor a fool for acting rashly and without thought?

Raising his head, he looked over to see Hogun gathering three horses for them to ride back into the heart of Asgard. Heimdall merely watched Loki under a cautious gaze as he bowed his head. Loki paid him no mind. He couldn't spare the Gatekeeper much thought as he treated Loki with the proper respect since others were around. He knew what the man really thought about him- if their past confrontations were any indication- and he had no use for false respect. Loki tried to draw himself up properly, giving Heimdall his cup as he passed, his presence and posture befitting of a prince, as they made their way quickly across the bridge.

He had thought he had hardened his heart for what was to come, but he couldn't help the small pangs of worry that shot through him, as he remained outwardly stoic.

A palace guard took their horses as they dismounted and he stared at Loki slightly quizzically. Well, not quite Loki himself, just his clothes. He had nearly forgotten he still wore one of his brother's Midgardian outfits. His sudden departure hadn't left him any time to gather any of his belongings, not that he had a whole lot on Midgard other than his clothes. Realizing staring at Loki was probably rude, or most likely offensive, the guard bowed and took the horses away quickly, muttering apologies.

Loki narrowed his eyes at the guard's retreating figure. Hardly anyone muttered apologies to him, or treated him with the respect befitting royalty. Perhaps he was new...

 _Or it's a trap,_ his thoughts whispered.

Mentally preparing himself for whatever lie ahead, Loki followed Sif and Hogun as they lead him into the golden palace. The hallways were oddly void of people as they made their way briskly through the halls. It wasn't until Sif steered him to the Great Hall that Loki's pulse began to quicken.

Most of the palace guards and warriors formed an aisle that lead to the large throne sitting upon a raised platform. Asgardian citizens filled the expanse of the room to the left and right of the warriors, nearly taking up all of the space inside the large grandiose room. There was an indistinct cacophony of murmurs and whispers that died instantly as Loki arrived.

Sif moved in front of him, and Hogun hung back until he was behind Loki. Did they think him to try and escape? He almost wanted to; teleporting would be all too easy and unavoidable to those who would try to stop him. Surely everyone gathered didn't bode well for him.

They all _knew._

Years of practice made Loki follow Sif down the aisle of warriors, hopefully hiding his rising panic from his face and body. He was afraid, he could admit it to himself, but he'd be damned if he let anyone else see it. Loki kept his stony gaze forward, but made sure he was aware of every warrior that surrounded him. Every breath, every shift in weight in any direction.

By the time they reached the floor before the stairs to the throne, Loki felt like a bowstring that was pulled as taut as it could before finally snapping in recoil. His muscles were all coiled tightly, making his neck hurt slightly from the tension. Then he mentally chuckled at himself. His neck would hurt a lot worse for a split second if they decided to behead him. Or perhaps they meant to imprison him forever.

A movement to his right caught his attention, causing him to shift quickly and slightly, recalling all his years of battle to mind. He wasn't about to go down without a fight. His quick rush of adrenaline calmed as he recognized his mother walking towards him, a group of the councilmen behind her.

Confused, he watched as she came to stand before him, her face unreadable. Using a sliver of magic, he sensed worry and dread plaguing his mother as she nodded a dismissal to Sif and Hogun. He had yet to see Odin, but Loki was sure he was probably awaiting a grand entrance, finally ready to dispose of the _traitor prince,_ the monster. Looking at his mother, he only wished she didn't have to deal with what was to happen. Frigga had loved him as if she were his true mother, and while he had doubted her love for him at one time, he knew that he had been foolish. She had never wished him harm of any kind, even after all he'd done. And he was about to cause her pain once again...

"Kneel, Loki," she told him, that blank, unreadable expression on her face. Her voice was quiet, but it carried through the room in the silence.

He hesitated for a moment, struggling with the overwhelming urge to flee, before slowly doing as she ordered. If he was to die, he could not- _would not_ -make this harder for her. That would be his reason to remain and not flee like a coward, his racing heart demanding the latter.

She bent slightly and grabbed at his wrists, and Loki pulled back slightly. _She must want to remove the bracelets,_ he thought. Everyone _knew,_ but they had yet to _see._ See his darkest and most feared secret, exposing him completely before Asgard. Feeling an empty sort of calm invade him, he only mildly accepted his fate. He could run, disappear without a trace quickly, but where could he truly go? The Asgardians would hunt him down no matter where he ran. It would probably take them centuries for them to catch him, of course, but his capture would be eminent. Even if he did evade capture, he would have no home to go to. He could not hide from all the realms at once, someone would be bound to find him. He didn't think he'd want to fight that hard for that long, before failing regardless. Not to mention, Thor would be sent after him, no doubt, and Loki owed Thor too much to put his brother in that position.

 _Keep these on, Loki. At all times._

Loki startled slightly by his mother's voice suddenly whispering in his mind, as if she were speaking into his ear. _What?_ He tried to ask telepathically, but she had taken a step from him already. Suddenly, the warriors around him all knelt, bowing properly, and the citizens followed quickly after.

 _Odin,_ Loki thought angrily, looking sideways at the kneeling Asgardians.

"Rise Loki Odinson," Frigga ordered, her voice louder and still carrying throughout the room. Hesitantly, Loki stood, turning back to face Odin as he did so, a haughty sneer already twisting his features. His face fell slightly, however, when he realized that no one was behind him, save the still kneeling Asgardians. "As reigning Queen, I announce that Loki Odinson... Is Asgard's new King!"

* * *

 **Hello fellow Loki Lovers! Or Marvel lovers... whichever suits your fancy. I hope you enjoyed that chapter, even if it was a bit of a slower one. I hope that last bit was a nice little surprise for you. I can never tell because I know what's going to happen, and I can't always read it from an outsider's perspective. Anyway, please leave a review or PM me what you think! They seriously make my entire day. Also, thank you to all the new followers, and of course all the followers that have been here the entire way! You guys rock!**

 **The next chapter may take a bit to post because I'm still figuring how I want to write it. I know what I want to happen, but I don't want a long drawn out chapter ya know? I'm sure you readers don't either. Reviews help with that process... okay I'm done, I'll quit rambling now. Have an awesome day/night everyone! Toodles! -K**


	16. Chapter 16

Loki blinked at his mother dumbfounded, his mind completely freezing. He was sure he looked less than dignified as his mouth had fallen open slightly and his eyes widened, but he didn't give it a second thought.

He was King?!

Surely not…

What had happened while he was away? Where was Odin and why wasn't he there on the throne? _Don't tell me the old fool fell into_ another _Odinsleep._

"Mother?" Loki asked, his mind somehow racing and sluggish to comprehend his situation.

"We do not have the Allfather's scepter to present you with, my son, for Odin has it with him," Frigga told him concisely. "But you are now and henceforth the reigning King of Asgard." The warriors behind him all released a shout simultaneously, though some sounded less than enthused. He turned to look behind him again, eyes roaming over every warrior, every citizen within the large room. He had half a mind to ask if this was some sort of joke, but he knew his mother was completely serious. He had returned from Midgard directly into his coronation. Little bubbles of laughter hovered at the edge of his mind at the absurdity of it all.

"Everyone is dismissed and may return to their night," Frigga told the room, her voice leaving no room for arguments. After rising, the warriors and citizens bowed formally and dissipated quickly. Loki burned to ask the dozens of questions running through his mind, but his mother suggested they wait until they could talk in private. Still slightly taken aback by the situation, Loki nodded and followed his mother from the throne and into the halls of the palace. Servants and guards bowed as they passed.

"What has happened?" Loki demanded as soon as they entered an empty council room. Frigga exhaled slowly, shutting the door behind her firmly. The torches along the walls lit themselves with little magic from his mother. The room held a few large chairs and a long rectangular table.

A huge weight seem to press on his mother as she walked over to a tall chair to sit. "Odin has vanished," Frigga told him, straight to the point. "No one knows exactly when or how, but even Heimdall cannot find him, nor sense his presence anywhere in Asgard."

"What do you mean _in Asgard_?"

Frigga looked up at Loki from her chair as Loki hadn't moved from his spot in the middle of the room. "Heimdall's gaze of the realms is beginning to dim, as if the worlds are disappearing, or at least the connection to them. As I'm sure you noticed, the Bifrost has also begun to act strangely. We are not sure the reasons yet, but it worries me."

Loki held back from scoffing at his mother; of course he realized the Bifrost was different. One look upon the energy, and anyone with a pair of eyes could tell. He had sensed the shift in energy in the ice cream shop. Wait… If the world's were cut off from Heimdall…

"What about Thor?" Loki asked desperately. If Loki had ended up with the throne, that meant that Thor couldn't… that he was unable…

"Your brother is alive last I heard, but it has been almost a week since the last message Heimdall received. We tried to reestablish the connection to no avail," Frigga explained softly.

Loki released a deep sigh of relief and placed his hands on the table. Thor was alive; or he was last Mother had heard. _No,_ Loki thought, flexing his hands against the tabletop. If anyone could survive on pure guts (and foolishness), it would be Thor. He'd find some way to survive, he always did. He had to. "Alright," Loki exhaled sharply, looking back at Frigga. "Is there anything else I should know besides Odin's disappearance, my missing brother, and the realm's connections fading, and my new status as King?"

Once again, he felt the urge to laugh madly. He went from the rumored traitor prince outcast, to Asgard's ruler in half an hour. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he'd be on the throne again. Then again he had never _truly_ wanted the throne. Only the title, the acknowledgment of his equality to Thor, to prove he was no one's shadow. Plus, his brother had no right to rule as he was back then, but Loki supposed he didn't either. The both of them truly uncomprehending in the gravity behind being a ruler.

"And why did you not just take the throne, and rule in Odin's place? I highly doubt the Asgardians would welcome me as King with their arms open," Loki mused.

Frigga huffed and stood, her lips pursing slightly. "I tried to, but the elders and counselors would not have it. We argued for many hours. They cling to their old rules and traditions. The throne will be passed down to any and all heirs, before the spouse. They insisted on bringing you back, and eventually I lamented," she told him, standing next to him now. "I did not wish to lose you too after all that has happened. I decided it was best to bring you back, where I'd know you were safe and well." She wrapped one of her arms through Loki's and hugged him for a moment, both processing everything. "That concludes most of what has happened since your stay on Midgard. Odin was working tirelessly to find a way to bring Thor back, but even he too vanished the night of last. Heimdall has not let anyone travel through the Bifrost, less it be of the utmost importance."

Now Loki openly scoffed. "I doubt anyone would see my taking the throne of any 'utmost importance'. They'd probably prefer you to leave me to my fate with the mortals."

"Look at me Loki," his mother demanded, pulling away from him to face him directly. She waited until he faced her. "You _are_ important, there is absolutely no room for argument. We will find a way to fix this together. We will find your brother, and we will find Odin, and deal with whatever is to happen." Then she gave him a cheeky grin. "Besides, we are the craftier two of the family. We'll find a way. You are not alone in this."

His mother's words made him feel somewhat better and calm, and when he released a quiet laugh, it wasn't desperate and mad. He smiled at her, resigned, before hugging her once more. He had missed her in his absence. He may not be important to everyone, but to those he held dear, he was important and that was all that mattered. Gathering his thoughts and giving himself a goal, he conspired with his mother halfway into the night. Loki's main goal: find Thor.

* * *

Loki's goal turned out to be _fractionally_ harder than he had originally anticipated. Being King had demanded much of his attention at first. Many Asgardians had concerns and protests; mostly about Loki being in charge. A large portion had already demanded he be removed from the throne, and more than one fight had broken out during meetings and in the palace. Thankfully, most of the warriors were loyal to the throne, rather than Loki himself, so they had managed to calm everyone down and resolve the situation. At this point, Loki would take what he could get. After the third meeting had broken out into a fight, Loki delegated dealing with the citizens to his mother and the counselors.

 _At least no one had tried to assassinate him yet_ , Loki thought wryly. The people had voiced their disdain for him frequently enough, even before he was ruler. _Let them try,_ he hissed mentally. He couldn't care less whatever their false accusations and opinions of him were, but he'd have no quarrel putting a potential assassin in their place. That place being a cell in the vast dungeons below the palace… or a grave.

Instead of dealing with meetings and the Asgardians, Loki poured himself over countless tomes and scrolls within the palace library, searching for anything having to do with the Bifrost or the realms. Two days straight in the library had gotten him no closer to finding his brother.

Feeling his stress level rising, Loki slammed his current book shut harshly, the noise echoing through the room. Nothing he found helped in any way, and he already knew most of the information that he managed to find. Groaning, he slumped into a nearby chair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and head in his hands.

It had been nearly five days since his return, and he was beginning to feel helpless, which he despised. He had known this would be difficult, but he was beginning to think his goal was damn near impossible. He had been locked away in the library for two days with little sleep or food. Any time he slept, he would dream Thor was injured and needed his help, only to come _so close_ to reaching him, but falling just short every time. He'd jolt awake only to think _just one more tome, one more scroll,_ then he'd find the answer.

He still hadn't.

A knock on the door roused him from his thoughts. He stood quickly, straightening his clothes. He now had an outfit made of the finest materials and bright golden plates that covered his chest. He even had a long green cape, fastened by intricate gold pins. "Enter," he nearly barked. He hadn't the time for distractions. The sooner he found Thor (or even Odin at this point), the sooner he wouldn't have to deal with being the hated king.

The royal guards that were stationed outside the library, opened the large doors to reveal a servant woman holding a platter of food. "The Queen requested I bring you dinner, my King," she bowed while holding the platter aloft expertly.

He held back a sigh at his mother's worry. "Just set it on the table," Loki ordered waving his hand dismissively while turning his attention back to the books. There had to be something he missed…

Eyes still trained on his books, he noticed the servant hesitating slightly as she placed the platter down on a nearby table. "Was there something else?" he asked, still not looking up.

"Permission to speak, my King?" she bowed again. He waved a hand impatiently, wishing she'd get on with it. He was trying to concentrate. "You went to Midgard, yes? How was Miss Nora?" she asked, wringing her hands nervously.

Pausing, Loki finally looked at the servant woman. _Ah yes,_ he remembered. The servant girl had been assigned to Nora so she wouldn't get lost. Vie was her name if he recalled correctly. "She was well. Full of energy and questions aplenty," he found himself answering. He didn't mention she almost died.

Vie smiled genuinely. "I'm glad she's alright, thank you," she bowed slightly. "I'll be on my way if you don't need anything else."

"That will be all," Loki muttered, turning to his books again. He almost wished he was back on Midgard. There he had a sense of freedom. Now that he was back home and King, there were constantly guards and people around him in case he disappeared like Odin had. His mother's warning about keeping the bracelets on echoed in his mind. The last thing Asgard needed was to discover his Jotun heritage.

* * *

"Loki," a voice called. "Wake up, my son."

He was startled awake by a hand shaking him, rousing him from his slumber. Blinking to try and wake up and focus, he rose from the uncomfortable chair he had rested in. "Yes, Mother?" he asked, stifling a yawn. He hadn't meant to fall asleep.

Frigga's face creased with worry. "You need to get some proper sleep, Loki, and you need to eat," she told him, eyeing the untouched platter of food next to her.

"I'm fine," he muttered, giving her a small smile as he stood to stretch and flex his stiff muscles.

"Don't lie to me," she nearly snapped. "You've barely taken care of yourself since your return." She looked around to the hundreds of books piled around the tables and floor. "I know you're worried for Thor, but I will not allow one son to waste away to find the other, understand?"

Stubbornly, he didn't respond but there was no real response. He understood her feelings, but he didn't reciprocate them. He could go a while without sleep if it meant he'd find Thor. Sleep was hardly a sacrifice if it meant some form of normalcy could be had again.

Frigga inspected him carefully for a moment, before continuing. "There are a few guests that I'd like you to meet later tonight, but I want you to rest and take care of yourself first. That means sleeping and bathing," she told him, narrowing her eyes. "Don't make me ward this library from you as I did when you were a child."

Contrary to the stressful situation, Loki felt himself chuckling. "I don't seem to recall your enchantments ever working."

"Those were hardly special," she defended with confidence. "I had no desire for your unpracticed magic to backfire on you. But I will do so now if you don't listen." Loki found himself smiling, remembering himself sneaking into the labyrinth that was the library when he was a child. "Don't get any ideas, Loki. I don't care if you're King or not, I'm your mother first. Don't forget who taught you the ways of magic. Now," she told him, nearly pulling him by the arm out of the library. "I will send someone for you around the dinner feast, go and take care of yourself."

 _Dinner?_ He wondered, looking towards the large windows. The sun was still high in the sky, but had began to fall. He must've slept a while; the last he remembered was the sun rising over the palace. Alright, he conceded. Maybe he needed a break if he couldn't keep track of time properly. "Very well, Mother. I shall meet you later." He bowed his head to her as he took off through the palace to his chambers, a few guards following after him like a shadow.

* * *

Once night fell, Loki was brought to the dining hall while everyone was eating. Many fell silent for a moment when he arrived, but they quickly began to talk amongst themselves. He held his head high and headed for the large table where his mother and other special guests sat. Frigga rose, along with her present company to greet him.

His mother wore a bright golden gown, adorned with many jewels and intricate designs. Next to her stood a tall woman who was nearly his height; she wore a long light purple dress that reached the floor. Silver patterns were woven into the fitted top of the dress and flared out near the bottom. She had long pale blonde hair that was nearly white and was braided back and left to trail down her back. Next to the woman stood two children, one boy and one girl, that were only as tall as his torso. The children wore similar styles of clothing but their clothing was a deep blue color with the same silver patterns. They all had the same bright blue eyes and long pale hair.

 _Elves…_ Loki thought, noticing their slightly pointed ears and narrowed sharp features. What were elves doing on Asgard? Then he remembered the incident with the creature and how they were seeking the elf's help in locating it. It seemed like another lifetime, rather than just a month or so ago.

"Loki, you've arrived," Frigga smiled at him, breaking away from the trio. She grabbed his hands (gloved of course) and led him to his spot at the table. As he made his way to his seat, the three gave him a formal Asgardian bow, which he returned with a slight bow of his head. A king didn't bow back, but he did acknowledge his people and guests.

"Your mother has told us much about you, King Loki," the woman greeted, her blue eyes watching him.

He turned on the charm, smiling pleasantly. "I'm afraid to say my mother hasn't told me about you. It is a pleasure to have you in Asgard, even if the circumstances are not desirable." Loki almost found it easy to fall back into the Silvertongue façade. He was getting rusty; he hadn't needed to use his charms in a while. On Midgard, most of the mortals he spent time with knew when he was lying or deceiving, so an honest reaction was usually best there, but he needed to fall back into that charming personality.

"This is Cyrith," Frigga introduced the woman. "And these two are Arryth and Ryssa," she continued, gesturing to the children. "They were sent from Alfheim to assist in locating the creature that attacked you. They arrived a week ago, but we've dared not send them back due to the circumstances."

He noticed as his mother introduced them, that the children began to stare at him, quickly looking at each other in silent communication. Upon looking at them closely, he realized they were siblings, most likely twins. "I apologize for your trip, for it was in vain: The creature is on Midgard, contained," Loki explained.

"I see," Cyrith commented, looking at him and then around the room. Loki spared a quick look around and noticed that people were starting to watch them without openly staring. He wasn't sure what they found so fascinating, but he decided to take a seat next to his mother and eat something more substantial than the fruits he had snacked on while he was in the library. Participating in the conversations around him, Loki was as charming as possible, even if all he wanted to do was to get back to the library.

* * *

Nora waved at a young boy as he took his ice cream cone from her and shied behind his father's leg. "Bye, guys," Nora smiled.

"It's about time for you to go, isn't it?" Maddy's voice came from behind her as she cleaned off the counter from little drops of ice cream.

"Just about, yep!" Nora grinned. A couple days after Loki had returned to Asgard, Nora discovered that the tower was becoming a boring place to be. Sure it was awesome at first, but everyone was busy with their lives so she never had anyone to hang out with. Jane, Darcy, and Erik were travelling all over the world to different countries and working with S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists in some remote labs. Nora could have gone with them, but she was told she 'didn't have the clearance'. She was only 90 percent sure that Director Fury had something to do with it, as she hadn't had a problem travelling with them before. The rest of the tower's inhabitants were always on random schedules and had their own lives to live.

Tony had offered her a room in the tower as long as she wanted, as she didn't actually have a home to go back to. She had given up her apartment months ago to bounce around with Darcy and Jane for a while, knowing she couldn't afford to keep up with the rent while she was gone. She had a job, but had recently gotten laid off due to financial reasons. She could have gone back to live with her parents, but they had their own house and not enough money to help her out while she tried to find another job. They'd take her in without a doubt, and she knew she really wouldn't have to ask, but she couldn't put that strain on them. Instead, they had taken all her stuff and put it in their garage until she could find a place to settle down for a while.

Nora had felt that she had mooched off of Tony long enough, so Maddy gave her a job in her ice cream shop and she had been working for about a week and a half now. Tony had told her explicitly that he didn't mind her staying at the tower or anything, and Pepper had told her to buy whatever she needed. Nora refused to use their money, but after debating for a while, she had decided to stay at the tower. She decided once she had enough money then she would find her own place to live.

"Well then get out of here!" Maddy demanded with a smirk. "I know you're excited to go see your parents."

Nora was using her first paycheck to go and visit her parents after her mother and Pepper had ganged up on her since she hadn't seen them in a long while. Her mother called frequently and had none-too-subtly demanded she come and visit, before she got too busy. Sydney had somehow exchanged numbers with Pepper, and had Pepper keep an eye on Nora. Part of Nora wanted to roll her eyes at her mother in exasperation, but another part was impressed by her mother's tenacity at getting through to Pepper on the phone. It wasn't like she had a number that could be looked up easily, and Nora knew Pepper was busy enough that getting to speak directly to her would have been difficult enough.

"Alright, alright!" Nora laughed, undoing her apron. "I'm going. Tell Julie and Becca I said bye." Grabbing her things from the office, Nora had her jacket on and backpack slung behind her shoulder. "I'll see you in a few days." Maddy gave her a hug goodbye and waved as she left, wishing her a safe flight.

The city streets were busy with cars and people since it was almost lunch. Nora was getting used to the busy streets, although she preferred quieter small towns that she had grown up in. She couldn't wait to get home and see her parents and her animals! Thinking of getting to play with her dogs made her practically bounce on her toes as she walked the handful of blocks back to Stark Tower. All she had to do was go and get her suitcase from her room, and then take a cab to the airport! It would only take a few hours and she'd be home!

A sudden tug on her jacket made Nora stop suddenly. Looking down, she saw a small boy pulling at her sleeve. "Can I help you?" Nora asked, kneeling down to the boys level.

The boy sniffled and pushed his longer hair out of his face with his palm, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I-I lost my mommy, I don't know where she is…" the boy mumbled with a trembling chin.

"Alright, alright," Nora soothed the child, rubbing his back slightly. "Do you know where you last saw her? Or a phone number I could call?" The boy just cried a little, rubbing at his eyes while he shook his head. She felt her heart squeeze tightly at the sight. _The poor kid must be so scared._

After trying to calm the boy down for a minute, he finally spoke again. "I think… I think she went that way," he pointed a shaking hand behind her.

Nora smiled reassuringly, and stood again, holding the boys hand. "Then let's go." The boy smiled up at her and started to pull her along through the throng of people. She still had at least an hour before she had to leave for the airport, so she had plenty of time. And if she missed her flight, then she'd take a different one. She wasn't going to leave a lost and scared child by himself.

The boy quickly pulled her along at a jog, maneuvering through the crowds of people easily. Well, easy for him as he was only a few feet tall. Nora nearly ran into everyone else, muttering apologies behind her as people cursed and glared.

Suddenly, the boy jerked her to the right and they ended up in an alley between some office buildings. Catching her breath, she stopped running and straightened her bag on her back. "I don't think we went the right way…" Nora mumbled, looking around the dead end alley. She looked back at the boy who was now standing behind her, her heart starting to pump quicker. A twinge of uneasiness invaded her mind, but she couldn't put her finger on what caused it.

Grabbing her arm much harder than a child was capable of, the kid was suddenly flinging her forward into one of the office buildings walls. The old brick wall scratched at her hands as she tried to catch herself and prevent her from falling to the ground completely.

 _What the hell was going on?_ she thought, trying to understand what was happening.

Looking up to the boy in a daze, she watched him fling his hand out towards her. Instantly, she flinched and held her hands up, protecting her head.

Only nothing happened.

Slowly she peaked through her fingers at the boy who was still watching her. Now the boy's eyes glowed a deep golden color as he still held his hand out towards her. Everything seemed to go silent around Nora, only the sound of her quickened breaths in her ears. Questions ran through her mind, confusion and dread clouding proper thought. Smirking evilly, the boy threw his hand out again, this time sending her flying backwards.

Tensing, Nora braced for impact with the wall, but it never came. She continued to fall backwards as she closed her eyes, desperately flailing for something to grab onto. Her hands never reached anything, not even the wall that had been directly behind her. Instead, she fell backwards as if she had lost her balance and landed roughly on her backpack.

Gasping as the wind was nearly knocked from her lungs, her eyes popped open and she looked around quickly. Instead of the city, she was surrounded by a golden, intricately designed globe.

 _What… Am I in Asgard?_

Taking a deep breath and groaning she sat up, looking at the intricate almost clock-like designs on the wall. She was at the lookout of the Bifrost… But how…

"Nora?!"

Scrambling to her hands and knees, she looked up at Heimdall with wide eyes. How the heck could she be on Asgard? She was just in New York. She hadn't called the Gatekeeper, and if she had, there would have been the energy to grab her up and take her. She had merely fallen backwards by some force that the kid-

The kid!

Leaping to her feet, Nora looked around wildly for the child. He had caused this somehow, and she hadn't missed the freaky golden eyes that seemed to glow like a lit match, either. Something was definitely wrong…

"How did… I didn't…" Heimdall continued gruffly, standing on the dais. He was looking at her like she had grown another head and set of limbs. He was posed like he was preparing for someone to travel through the Bifrost, but if he hadn't brought her here then he was preparing for someone to leave. Suddenly, a large shifting circle appeared next to the opening of the lookout. Looking quickly, Nora could see the inside of the palace through the circle. A portal, her mind supplied her. As soon as it opened, Asgardians filed through heading towards the other side of the lookout to travel through the realms.

Countless women and children piled through in a panic, creating a blur of colors and hurried footsteps. Heimdall activated the Bifrost carefully, causing the Asgardians to disappear in a color blur as they were hurdled through space.

 _What was happening?_ Was she dreaming?

A distant explosion caused the lookout to tremble slightly, and some of the Asgardians screamed as they ran towards the energy on the other side of the room. Almost in a daze, Nora walked towards the entryway of the lookout, avoiding the running Asgardians. Her eyes flew open as she gasped.

The once shiny, golden city of Asgard; the large and formidable looking realm…was now on fire and crumbling before her eyes.

* * *

 **Greetings everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it took so long to finish...again... Anyway please please leave a review letting me know what you think! I'd love to know what you guys think is going on or what's going to happen, if not then just reading what you guys thought would be fantastic!**

 **Also, if I wanted to do little Avenger/other character one-shots or something, would you guys be interested in reading them? Just little shorts that I could type up fairy quickly. I always have the urge to write, but don't always have the hours to actually type a full chapter for this story, so one shots or prompts would let me write without it frustrating me. Idk just an idea I had. Let me know through PM or a review if you would be interested.**

 **Thanks again, my dearies! Thank you for taking the time to read and follow/favorite! Toodles! -K**


	17. Chapter 17

It takes Nora a few seconds to gape at the burning palace that crumbles, before her mind finally works through the initial shock of it all. Behind her, countless Asgardians pile through the large shifting portal, but they are beginning to slow. Somehow everything seems to be in slow motion and fast forward at the same time. She may not know what was going on, but safety and escape seemed like the two things everyone was preoccupied with.

"Heimdall, what's going on?" Nora nearly shouts over the murmurs and cries of the Asgardians as they run through the observatory in some form of organized chaos. He goes to answer her, but his answer is drowned out by screams and shouts as an explosion in the distance causes the observatory to tremble. Nora spots and opening between groups of Asgardians and she darts through the empty space, getting closer to the large dais in the middle of the room. "What did you say?" Nora asks him again, climbing a stair to avoid being swept away by some panicking Asgardians as they fled.

"We are evacuating, per the King's orders," Heimdall answers quickly, focusing on the Bifrost intently. Nora looks around again, sensing now wasn't the time to distract the man from his job. She'd ask someone else, but none of them even seemed to register that she was there much less stop for two seconds and answer any questions. Should she follow the Asgardians to whatever realm they were evacuating to?

Hesitating slightly, but seeing no better option, Nora headed towards the Bifrost's energy. The amount of Asgardians pouring through the conjured portal seemed to slow nearly to a halt, only a few people appearing every few seconds. Hoisting her bag on her back, Nora stepped down from the dais and ran towards the way to the new realm, mentally preparing herself. She had no idea where she was going to end up, but it had to be better than Asgard as it was being evacuated and under attack.

She nearly made it to the blurred energy, prepared for the jump when the entire right side of the observatory exploded, causing Nora to be flung backwards in its blast, crashing into the floor painfully.

Asgard seemed to spin and her ears rang painfully as she tried to cover her face from the sudden heat from the fire. Heimdall had been blown away by the blast and ended near the now flickering energy of the Bifrost, while Nora had been blown away from it. Through her semi-blurred vision that cleared as she blinked quickly, Nora noticed Heimdall was shouting at her, trying to get her attention. She could see him yelling, but she couldn't hear the words or see clear enough to read his lips. Another large tremor caused Nora to fall, her knees cracking painfully against the floor.

" _There you are."_

Nora's head whipped upwards, eyes widening as she caught sight of the little boy that somehow got her to Asgard in the first place. He was grinning in the center of the lookout, near the dais, looking around at all the destruction before his gaze landed on Nora.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't get her legs to move from where they were as the boy made his way towards her slowly. Each step he took was deliberate and strong, even as the observatory shook with tremors while it continued to crumble slowly.

 _Move...move! Movemovemove..._ Nora screamed mentally at herself, trying to will herself into motion. Her heart beat harshly in her chest, her pulse pounding through her entire body. The ringing hadn't stopped and her vision still blurred slightly around her peripheral. She needed to get away now! Except, she might as well have been a statue for the way her body stayed on its knees, leaning back slightly on her feet underneath her.

As the boy walked closer, Nora couldn't look away from him like she was hypnotized. Beside her mind screaming at her to run, she felt a sort of wriggling in the deepest parts of her mind. Almost like remembering something she had forgotten to recall in the first place. While she stared at him, eyes widened with fear, he began to change as he stepped closer. His body shimmered slightly, morphing quickly from a small child into an adult. His face was now more sharp, defined by high cheekbones and an aristocratic nose. Shaggy and unruly black hair fell into his eyes and covered his ears, almost falling to his shoulders in the back. He was now nearly two feet taller than she would be standing upright, towering over her as he walked closer. Nora could tell he wore a plain black shirt that seemed to billow as he walked, and plain dark pants that nearly covered his bare feet. Orange eyes that still glowed as if lit from the inside, seemed to stare directly into Nora as she sat on the ground, too stunned to move. She had thought Odin radiated power...

After what felt like minutes, the man finally stood in front of Nora, beaming down at her with a twisted grin on his face. He stood, staring at her intensely for a few moments before slowly reaching a hand out towards her.

 _I'm gonna die..._

The lone thought forced its way through Nora and left her feeling cold and empty, like someone had covered her very soul in ice.

She seemed to watch from an outsider's view as the man's hand landed on her head, his grip tightening slightly on her skull. A pressure began in her ears, then her temples, then spread throughout her body as if she were being crushed to death on the spot. She sucked in a quick, pain filled gasp, but couldn't scream like she wanted to. Her mind provided no coherent thought through the pain, only the desire for it to _stop._ Deep, searing terror whipped through her viciously.

Suddenly, she was flying backwards until she landed awkwardly on her backpack again, losing her breath she slid backwards. The crushing pressure disappearing instantly, only leaving a phantom pain through her. Looking around quickly, relief flooding through her viciously as she was still alive, she noticed she was now on the other side of the conjured portal, the edges of it still shifting and flowing with energy. Two bodies next to her threw their hands out towards the portal as the man lunged forward at them, and the portal disappeared into thin air. Nora shook slightly, still laying back on the floor, propped up on her elbows, staring into the space where the portal was seconds ago.

A small hand reached out to her left shoulder, trying to get her attention. Or maybe it was someone else trying to hurt or kill her, she wasn't sure. She just needed a moment. A moment to collect her thoughts, get a hold of her scattered ass feelings. She was terrified, relieved, worried, furious, and confused all at once, and it was starting to be too much too fast. She was only human, she could only handle so much before snapping mentally, and she felt really damn close to that point right then. She still felt frozen inside, while she vaguely felt her muscles twitch and jump uncontrollably in shivers that wracked her body.

Soft warmth flowed through her, starting at her shoulder where the hand had grabbed her. Detached, Nora looked over at the small hand, feeling the warmth spread through her slowly. The energy traveled through her arm and through her chest, then began to travel through her body.

"Is she alright?" a voice asked distantly.

Nora didn't hear a reply, but she did feel another wave of warm energy flow through her. She noticed that the loud ringing had stopped and her vision had already cleared. Her emotions seemed to dull from the tangled mess they had been moments ago, giving her a sliver of clarity. Looking up from the hand on her shoulder took a little bit of concentration, but she managed to follow the limb up to the person's face. A young boy looked down at her, his brows pinched with concern and concentration. He had white hair, vibrant blue eyes, and slightly pointed features.

"I think she's alright, for the most part anyway," the boy answered calmly. As Nora listened to his voice, she remembered there was another person standing on her other side and she looked over slowly. A young girl was watching her as she stood tensed, a slight frown pulling at her mouth.

"We should go before _whatever_ that man was- finds us in here," the girl told the boy, looking away from Nora finally.

Nora felt movement on her left, and she looked over again. The boy was forcing a small smile on his face. "Can you move now?" he asked Nora gently, like she might break if he looked at her too hard. Hell, she might the way she was feeling. Or did feel; that warming energy seemed to give her strength as she purposefully wiggled her toes and moved her limbs to sit up. "You're doing good," the boy's voice came to her softly.

Nora inhaled slowly and exhaled even slower, gathering herself. She still felt slightly numb by all that had happened so quickly, but she'd make it. Holding onto what pieces of rationality she could, Nora stood up and looked at the two children. "Thank you," she told the boy. "I'm... I'm not sure what happened exactly... I just kinda...panicked..." she trailed off, still trying to shake the numbness from her mind.

"We can all figure it out later," the girl said sternly. "For now, we need to move." Then she was headed away from Nora and the boy, towards an open doorway. Quickly looking around, Nora noticed they were in a large room with humongous ceilings and a large table off to the side of the room.

"Come on," the boy told her, pulling on Nora's jacket sleeve to get her to follow them. Nora nodded and rose slowly. Part of her wondered who these children were, but they seemed friendly enough, unlike that man who attacked her. She felt mentally exhausted, and she figured she'd feel physically sore whenever everything caught up with her. For now, she relished the new warmth that flowed through her body from the young boy and followed after the children. Hopefully they could find their way to somewhere safe. More explosions sounded again far off in the distance, and she shuddered slightly. What exactly had happened here?

* * *

Loki sprinted through the palace halls. At least, what was left of some of them. A fair amount of the palace had been destroyed by random magical blasts he still had no idea where they came from. He hadn't had time to figure that out yet. Instead he was searching for anyone remaining in the palace. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be evacuated by now, except the twins at the portal and himself.

When the first explosion had happened, he had been buried in an old and stuffy storeroom full of ancient texts and scrolls. He had hoped they had new information on finding Thor or even fixing the Bifrost. It was probably a bust; or would have been, had he actually got to peer at more than two scrolls before the room began shaking. He had immediately teleported to his mother, making sure she was alright and demanding what was going on. His mother was fine, she had been talking with Cyrith and the twins, and they immediately were taken to the council room where Odin and the council usually came up with war strategies and made big decisions regarding Asgard. The seven councilmen were already there, along with the captains of the royal guard and the Asgardian army.

"And where have you been?" one of the older councilmen sneered, his tone accusatory. He had on a fine golden cloak that hung over a decorative chest plate and trousers. Pale white, thinning hair, covered the man's head; his face twisting as he looked upon Loki.

Loki rolled his eyes, not caring if it was deemed Kingly or not. He couldn't care less about kingly manners when the very palace was shaking on its foundation. "What's happening?" he demanded.

One of the guards quickly told him what was happening: There had been two explosions simultaneously, attacking the south side of the palace. A large section of the southern perimeter had already collapsed and many were injured, and some even dead. The guards had already began to move people into the safer portions of the castle and awaited orders. While the guard explained, smaller blasts echoed through the palace, creating a slight disturbance.

A disgustingly familiar force made its way through Loki's senses. It was the same as the Void, although he didn't sense the Chitauri. If another portal had somehow opened here, he didn't want to think of what could come out of it. Or what was strong enough to create it. They stood no chance so caught off guard like they were."We need to evacuate Asgard," Loki said quietly.

"Excuse me?" the same cranky councilman demanded, looking thoroughly offended Loki would suggest such a heinous thing. "We are Asgardians, we fight or die in the honor of battle. It is unheard of for us to retreat, much less evacuate. A little runt like you would never understand the importance of that, what with all your petty magic and-"

Loki saw red at the mention of him being a runt. He minded the older man's attitude of him, certainly, but he had been used to it. The man had never liked him; Loki mused it was because the man could sense something was off about Loki. Turned out he had been right, but that was neither here nor there. Either way, Loki hadn't taken kindly to the man's pompous attitude towards him, so the councilman had been the main subject of many pranks and mild attacks during Loki's adolescence. Of course, the man had only been a commander of the guard at the time before he was made councilman. Before Loki could think twice (not that he fought particularly hard to towards not harming the man), he had grabbed him by the shirt collar in one hand and pulled the man close to him. "You will do as I say," Loki ordered him slowly, dangerously. "We are evacuating everyone. Unheard of or not, we will all die here if we stay."

"Coward," the man spat, his voice wavering only slightly.

Before Loki could shake the man, Frigga put her hand on Loki's arm to stop him from hitting the man. "Where do you suggest we go then?" she asked tense. "The Bifrost is too dangerous a bet."

"Not all the realms are lost," Loki told her, reigning his fury in slightly, but still keeping his fist clenched in the councilman's shirts. "We put as many as we can through the portal as quickly as possible."

"And what of the rest?" Cyrith finally spoke up. "What of the ones living outside the palace?"

His mind worked quickly, improvising details and strategies. "Gather any sorcerers who can teleport. Tell them to get as many people to the Bifrost as possible. Heimdall is watching already, he will know what to do. We'll transport as many as possible." He knew Heimdall couldn't keep the Bifrost open for long, the energy would begin to destroy whatever realm Heimdall chose if it was left functioning for long. He only hoped Heimdall could control the strength of the energy to save as many as possible.

"There aren't many that _can_ teleport here, Loki," Frigga told him, her face pinching in worry.

Cyrith shook her head. "Teleporting that far out will be exhausting after half a dozen trips... Why not open a portal here that opens at the Bifrost? Keeping it open will take just as much energy, but can be maintained for a longer time."

Loki turned to her, finally letting go of the councilman with a shove. "That should work, but we don't have anyone advanced or strong enough to maintain the portal for very long." Sadly, the sorcerers in Asgard were highly lacking. His mother and Loki being some of the few exceptions.

Cyrith put her hands on the twins' shoulders. "These two can. They are prodigies to Alfheim. They can maintain it long enough to transport as many as possible."

Loki looked at the twins in quick surprise. He might have dwelled on that, but there was no time as people were beginning to panic through the palace. Screams were beginning to rip through the palace. "Fine," he agreed quickly. Besides, who was he to say no to help at a desperate time like this? "Open a portal quickly, and open it at the observatory." He looked at the commander of the royal guard. "Get anyone you can into this room. It is sturdy enough and near the center of the palace so you won't have to go far and is least likely to collapse. Do not engage the enemy if you happen upon them, who or whatever they may be." Then he looked at the commander of the army. "Lead anyone outside of the palace towards the forests in the east. There is a portal to Vanaheim within the smallest waterfall deep within the woods, about three hours away to the north east. It will take time to find on foot and without magic, so be sure to take a sorcerer with you."

Only too late did he realize he had given them information of one of the few portals in Asgard. They were unknown to all, except him... He felt no regret, however. It would save Asgardians in the end, and even if most of them didn't care for him, he had no wish to see them all dead. Once maybe, but now was not the time for past grievances. He was King, he was going to act like it.

After that, everyone dispersed fairly quickly, each clear on their mission. Frigga and Cyrith decided to help gather the palace inhabitants and teleport them to the castle; they were the only ones strong enough magically to move enough people before exhausting themselves. Part of him wanted his mother through the portal first and into the safety that was beyond the Bifrost, but she wanted no part of that. She said it was her "royal duty" to help as many Asgardians to safety as she could. Loki didn't have time to argue with her. He knew his mother was fierce and cunning. After a very serious look that practically dared him to order her to flee to safety, his only request was that she stick with Cyrith; safety in numbers and all that. He also made her promise to go through the Bifrost once everyone was transported. She agreed and they had vanished as the twins looked at each other in concentration. They had stood a few feet apart, letting the magic crackle between them until a shifting and steady portal opened between them. Through it, Loki could see Heimdall already preparing the Bifrost for travel. Loki didn't know the realm that Heimdall was choosing, nor did he care. He trusted Heimdall to pick somewhere safe with a limited risk for the Asgardians. Not that there were many options left that the Gatekeeper could reach out to anyway.

The councilman had all stood there, their gazes upon Loki ranging from mildly impressed, to shocked, to outraged. He didn't care about the last one. He immediately told them all to go through the portal and the Bifrost. They were to help maintain the Asgardians once they traveled, keeping the people from panic and chaos. Four of them begrudgingly agreed, bowing their heads to him before disappearing through the portal. The last three hesitated, before turning their backs on him and walking through the portal. One of them muttered something about how Odin would have never made them evacuate. Loki bit back his response. He was _not_ Odin. Regardless, he didn't expect any thanks anyway.

"You two can handle this?" Loki had asked the twins. He had doubts, but he could sense the portal was strong and steady, as if from a far older and practiced sorcerer. He hadn't felt much power from them before, other than the fact that they had magic.

"We've got it, Frost King. Go save the Asgardians," Ryssa told him.

Loki nodded at them seriously, only to stop a few steps away, whirling towards them. _What had they called him?_

Ryssa rolled her eyes at him, while Arryth forced a small smile. "We already figured it out," Ryssa muttered. "Wasn't that hard to anyone with a pair of eyes and trained in magic. Now go! Or are you going to leave your mother and our aunt to do all the saving?"

 _She's an annoying young elf,_ Loki had thought. Part of him was scared that someone else had learned his secret. It made his heart pound a bit harder at the possible repercussions. But he couldn't dwell on that now while Asgard was under attack. Huffing, Loki took off through the council doors, stopping some soldiers that had been running through the hall. He ordered them to guard the twins. Even if they were strongly gifted in magic, they couldn't defend themselves from an attack and keep the portal functioning. The soldiers had saluted and stood outside the door, staffs held in front of them defensively.

Loki left them to it as he sprinted down the hall, going towards the southern part of the palace. He heard many servants and nobles running through the halls, some screaming as yet another explosion shook the palace. Asgardians were rushing towards the council room that was just slightly off center towards the west, and the new explosion was in the eastern half. The floor shook as the upper levels of the palace crumbled, destroying what levels were beneath.

He spent roughly ten minutes finding anyone he could and teleporting those who were injured or young to the portal. Loki found it almost humorous how these people once detested his proximity, but now they clung to him as he teleported them to safety. After about twelve minutes, he could sense no one (alive at least) near any of the explosion areas. Everyone from the southern side and eastern sides seemed to be nearing the center of the palace from what he could sense. He counted a fair number of bodies in his search, too many for his liking, but as they were attacked unexpectedly, he knew it was inevitable. He quickly and silently hoped that they found some peace in Valhalla.

Smoke and fire began to spread through the halls quickly in the areas that had yet to collapse under the weight of debris on the levels above. Dust filled rays of dim sunlight fell through parts of the ceilings where all the walls had been blasted away. Loki kept walking, avoiding the more smoke filled areas. He could sense no life there anyway. He also couldn't sense any enemy other than the small shiver of energy from before. Suspicion rang clear in his mind, telling him to stay on guard.

After almost twenty minutes, there were only two more blasts that rattled the palace foundation. These two blasts nearly knocked Loki on his feet as everything shook and the floors nearly gave way above and below him. He had to roll and lunge away to dodge a few large chunks of ceiling from crushing him to death. He would teleport himself around, but that was no longer an option. Most of the palace had been destroyed or ruined, and if he teleported into debris instead of empty halls, he would die.

Sensing the palace was nearly clear of people, Loki began to circle back towards the twins and the portal. He could still sense the portal was still open, but it was growing weaker. The twins wouldn't last much longer. Frankly, Loki was surprised they had lasted as long as they did. Cyrith hadn't exaggerated they were prodigies, it seemed. As he made his way back, Loki heard another explosion. Only this one sounded far off in the distance, towards the north.

His blood instantly turned cold. Sprinting, Loki found a nearby hole in the wall facing towards the north.

 _No, no, no, no..._ Loki thought, each repeat of the word growing harsher and more desperate. His breath was punched from his lungs as he laid eyes on the Bifrost. Or what was left of it. The entire right side was gone, the remaining half already catching fire. The energy of the Bifrost flickered valiantly. He stood there in shock for a moment, before he felt the portal snap shut forcefully.

The twins!

Without a second thought, Loki turned and ran down corridors as quickly and as agile as he could, rushing towards the old council room. Had they been attacked? Had he been wrong and that part of the castle had collapsed? Were they injured... or worse? Trying his hardest to sense them, Loki grasped at the remains of his limited magic, but sensed nothing. Dread filled him as he pushed his body harder. He may not have much magic left, but he had a fair amount of physical stamina left, even if his overused magic made him fatigued. He mentally thanked his brother for their late night training sessions once Loki had returned from his original banishment and been reinstated as Prince several months ago. They were paying off now, as he pushed his body harder than ever.

He arrived to an empty council room, the guards gone as well. Noticing the room hadn't collapsed or been otherwise disturbed and there were no bodies laying around, Loki figured the twins must have left the room for whatever reason. But where would they go? At least half the palace was destroyed... The only place for them to go was away from it. Would they try for the portal to Vanaheim? Loki figured it was the logical choice, but wasn't sure if that was what the twins would do. They weren't battle trained like he was. Alfheim was typically a peaceful place, with little to no conflict. Did they even know what to do if they ended up in a hostile situation where they could potentially lose their lives? Why had he left them alone?

Damn it...

Turning on his heel, Loki continued running through the palace still trying to sense them. Eventually, most of the palace had been damaged, and the rest was quickly becoming dangerously unstable. He found no one while he made his way through the palace, slowly making his way towards the city. Once he reached the courtyard, he realized the Bifrost wasn't open any longer, and only the bottom of the left side was still standing. The rest sent large, thick black smoke trails billowing into the sky.

" _Where is she?"_ a voice suddenly hissed behind him.

Whirling, Loki quickly observed the man standing between him and the remaining palace. He wore dark, yet simple, clothes, and had dark hair to match. The man's eyes glowed a dim orange like a candle as he glared at Loki. He looked slightly ragged and his chest was heaving quickly. His eyes turned darker, giving him a slightly wild look about him. On top of that, he felt the waves of power rolling off the stranger, almost enough to make Loki stagger.

Loki's mind instantly was on alert, his instincts screaming this man was a threat.

 _"WHERE IS SHE?!"_ the stranger screamed again, throwing his arms outward. The palace behind him suddenly exploded, causing the nearest walls to burst inward, taking out a sizable chunk in the front wall. Fire, smoke, and debris rained down from the palace into the large courtyard.

A cold dread trickled through Loki. How was he supposed to hold his own against this person? Maybe at full magical strength, but definitely not with physical strength alone. As the man (was he even a man?) glared at him, eyes almost glazed wildly, Loki reached deep within himself to gather what remnants of his magic he had. He could barely sense any, not even any Jotun magic. Wait... He still had the Casket of Winters stashed away where he could summon it to himself... That would take a very insignificant sliver of magic to bring it to him.

The man went to shout again, when Loki swiftly moved his hands in a fluid motion. Almost instantly, Loki felt the slightly cool surface of the handles in his hands as he activated the Casket with another small sliver of magic. Ice immediately forced its way forward, growing in strength, until a long and solid streak of solid ice formed between him and the destroyed palace walls. After a moment, Loki stopped the Casket and sent it back to one of his secret stashes of belongings.

The stranger was completely encased in layers of thick, solid ice, still standing with his arms thrown outward. For a split second, Loki felt victorious. However, such was his luck, he felt the resonating pulse through the air, creating a large and sudden gust of wind. The ice covering the man immediately exploded outward, shards and flurries flying everywhere.

 _So much for that plan..._

The once crazy glazed look in the man's eyes turned murderous. "I don't have time for annoyances," he says slowly and clearly, his voice deep with his power. Slowly, he pushes his arms back outward in a purposeful and concise motion. A large portal opened up behind the man, Loki's ice immediately turning to ice.

The Void... He could see the dark, seemingly barren landscape before him in the portal that was nearly as twice his height and nearly as long horizontally. A deep pit twisted inside Loki's stomach at the sight. He never wanted to see that filthy, decrepit place ever again.

Instinctively, Loki tensed and tried to gather himself. Even when his mind screamed for him to _run,_ to _escape_ from that place, even if he wasn't actually there, he tried to control his panicked thoughts. It hardly made a difference, but he tried. That place just harbored too many painful memories, too much fear, too much desperation. He hadn't noticed his body began to shake slightly, his focus solely on the man in front of him, the looming portal, and his rising fear. How was he supposed to survive this? He was basically as powerless as a babe.

Another portal suddenly ripped into existence to Loki's right, shifting in a circle of light. Yet another man, but younger than the first stranger, leapt through the new portal at a sprint, headed directly for the man. The first man looked over in slight surprise, but narrowed his eyes as the newcomer ran at him with a large staff in hand. The man summoned a scepter of his own as the newcomer struck down with his. The two weapons clashed, a large ripple of power and magic expanding outward from them. After a few seconds of struggling against each other, the newcomer finally got enough leverage to knock the man backwards and into a portion of the palace wall behind them, destroying yet another section. Quickly, the newcomer turned to Loki, eyes blazing a vibrant lilac.

"Run you idiot!" the newcomer snapped at Loki, looking at him like he was in the way. He had short light brown hair that spiked up in the front, and wore the clothes of a warrior. A large golden chest plate covered his torso, while his dark trousers were stuffed into boots. His arms were left bare, and Loki could tell he was built like many of the Asgardian warriors.

Loki stood there in slight shock, trying to piece together what was happening, but failing miserably. He just had no inkling of a clue as to what was happening. Rarely was he left so confused and lost, and he didn't know what to do. He was used to being in control all the time, used to being the one who knew everything. A fact he usually prided himself on.

Determining that Loki was taking too long, the newcomer shouted at Loki again, sending a wave of magic at Loki to force him backwards, nearly making him lose his footing in the process. Loki wanted to stay, to somehow fight for his realm, but he could do nothing. He was far too weak. He didn't think even if he was full strength that he would be in any way effective in a fight against those two.

Swallowing his pride, Loki nearly used his remaining magic to teleport into the city and closer to the forest. At least the newcomer seemed to be fighting the man that seemed hell bent of destroying everything. Loki wasn't sure if that made him an ally, or just another enemy to watch out for. As Loki landed near the center of one of the more populated areas in Asgard, his pride begins to rankle a bit. It had been a while since he had to run from a battle. Though he knew he stood absolutely no chance, which also made him frustrated. He had thought he was strong and formidable. Certainly, no enemy had ever caused him to retreat, time within the void notwithstanding. He had thought he had grown stronger since that, and he was sure he had, but apparently that was not good enough. How was he made the ruler of Asgard? Such a weakling in charge of a strong and proud warrior race.

Snorting, Loki looked around at the destruction near the center of Asgard and to the emptiness of the streets. Yeah... He did a real fantastic job. With a weight pressing on him, he made his way towards the dense forests towards the hidden portal to Vanaheim. Part of him wished his brother were there, forever a beacon of strength and optimism. Then again... maybe it was good Thor wasn't here. He wouldn't have to watch his home get destroyed and left but a shell of its former glory.

Kicking a small pebble as hard as he could, Loki tried to shy away from his deprecating thoughts. Getting to Vanaheim was his priority. Perhaps he would find the twins on the way. And he had no idea what happened to his mother and Cyrith. He prayed to the Norns that they made it through the Bifrost before it was blasted and broken. If they didn't, he hoped he saw them on the way to the hidden portal. He prayed fate wouldn't be cruel enough to take his mother from him too. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her, and he desperately wished he never found out.

Focusing on one task at a time, and trying to keep his worrying thoughts to a vague whisper in his mind, Loki headed for the dense forest towards the portal to Vanaheim.

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 **Hello to any new readers, and welcome back to the ones who've stuck with this story. So this is like...mega ultra super late. Work life has caught up with me recently and with the holidays so close, its been crazy hectic. Why are people so exhausting? Then the only two days I had off, I got to see Wicked finally! I've been wanting to see it for so long!**

 **Anyway, you're not here for my personal ramblings. I sincerely hope you guys like this chapter. I think I rewrote it at least six times. It just wouldn't flow right, and there was a bunch of stuff I didn't put in because it didn't work well. If you guys would please PLEASE give me your feedback, it would be just absolutely amazing! I love reading comments on here or seeing a new follow/fave, and I've gone back to reread the comments several times for motivational purposes.**

 **If I don't get a chapter up before the end of the year, I hope everyone has happy holidays and has an awesome New Year's eve! Much love -K**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, my lovelies. Once again, I present another chapter. I'm not lying when I say I've struggled with this chapter and where to end it. It fought back valiantly, but hopefully it turned out alright. I think I've officially gone cross eyed trying to re-read it repeatedly to see if it flows well, so please let me know if it doesn't.**

 **I've sent most of you PMs thanking you for following/favoriting, and for the few of you who have responded, I CANNOT say thank you enough! I'm legitimately thrilled you are engrossed in my story. Between "moonsword17" and "havarti2" I can't stop smiling when I think about how you guys feel about it. To every other reader out there, please please review or PM me! Otherwise I have no inkling of your thoughts and opinions!**

 **Enjoy! -K**

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Using a little magic, the twins cleared away some slabs of the walls that had fallen and blocked their path. Arryth and Ryssa had introduced themselves as Nora asked questions about who they were. At first, the questions had been to help distract Nora from letting her emotions get the better of her. Even with Arryth helping, she had been fidgety and tense. Arryth told her that he wanted to be a healer, so helping her was no hardship. He distracted her with stories of the elves he would watch get treated for the silliest of situations. Ryssa, however, wanted to be a valiant warrior, wielding her magic as a weapon to protect people. Apparently, Alfheim was a place of great magic, and the realm was basically a haven with its centuries of peace so she never really had the chance to wield her magic like she wanted.

The palace had been completely devoid of life as they made their way through the halls. Nora hadn't noticed the smells at first, the choking scent of smoke filling the palace. But as they walked, she began to smell something rank and sharp. Only after walking near an area that had fully collapsed, she realized that there were bodies beneath the destruction. She couldn't help but to feel a deep sadness for the Asgardians that had lost their lives. Had she spoken with some of them during her stay? Had she sat next to them at their lively dinner feasts? It seemed wrong for them to just be...gone.

A wave of warmth traveled through her body, instantly making her feel better. "You don't have to help me anymore, Arryth," Nora smiled weakly at the boy. "I'll be alright." He smiled and shrugged slightly. Ryssa was walking a few steps in front of them, forging her own path through the palace. They seemed relatively calm through all this, which honestly freaked Nora out a little bit. She could understand a warrior or veteran of war to be calm and collected, but not two kids. "How are you two so calm through all of this?" she couldn't help but ask.

"We're hardly strangers to a battlefield," Ryssa tells her. Nora sensed a bit of underlying tension in her voice, however. Apparently the destruction wasn't _not_ getting to the girl.

"Usually some higher trained elves are called in after a battle is won to help with the healing, or lending some of their spells in the aftermath," Arryth explained. "We're a few centuries old, we've been called to a few situations like this. Granted Aunt Cyrith was usually with us, or our parents on rare occasions."

Nora nodded her acknowledgement, and they continued on for a bit in silence. After a few turns and open halls that weren't destroyed, she felt like they were somehow moving _downwards._ This part of the palace seemed relatively untouched, other than some extra dust and dirt in the air from the quaking of the foundation. The halls were getting darker as well, only lit by sporadic torches, and even half of those had been knocked to the floor and left unlit. Walking by a torch that was aflame, Nora snagged it off the wall and kept it with them. The torch was... _a lot_ heavier than she had first anticipated; after she pulled it up off its hinge on the wall, it nearly fell to the floor before she could catch its base, thankfully not burning herself in the scrambling process. She gave Arryth and Ryssa a sheepish look and shrugged as they looked at her curiously.

"Do you guys know where we're going?" Nora asked, carefully holding the torch now.

"Perhaps," Ryssa answered slowly, still eyeing Nora like she may cause some sort of disaster. Knowing herself, Nora figured if it was going to happen to anyone, then it would probably be her.

"Maybe we should go back," Arryth suggested after a few more minutes of walking through the dark corridors. Then he turned to Nora, his silvery hair reflecting the fire from the torch. "You said you've visited Asgard, right? Any suggestions on which direction to go?"

A small incredulous giggle escaped her. "Oh, definitely _not._ I'm the worst when it comes to directions, especially in this huge palace. Much less with some of it destroyed. Thor and Loki didn't exactly give me a map last time I was here. Why don't you teleport out of here? You two have magic, right?"

"The portal was strenuous on our reserves of magic, and we kept it open for quite a while," Arryth explained. "We don't have enough magic to teleport all three of us very far."

"Then why'd you heal me?" Nora exclaimed, looking at Arryth. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful you did, but you two could've gotten out of here to safety."

Before Arryth could answer, the hall began to shake once more as more of the palace collapsed. The tremors caused Nora to stumble sideways into the wall while Arryth and Ryssa fought for balance. A large crack splintered the ceiling, and they all looked up quickly. A few seconds of total silence filled the hall before Nora dared to move in the slightest. Fear that even a wrong breath would cause the area to collapse permeated her thoughts. She knew she was going to die at some point, but being buried alive was definitely _NOT_ a preferable way to go. She wasn't even in her own realm!

The left side of the hall gave out before the rest, and Nora had enough time to instinctively react and push Arryth towards Ryssa. "Go!" Then she pivoted and sprinted the way they came from, praying like crazy she could outrun the debris falling through the hall. A few smaller chunks of the ceiling hit her arm, making her drop the torch. Pushing herself, she managed to stay upright even with the darkness around her until she had made it about a hundred feet away when a slab rammed directly into her back. Thankfully the backpack cushioned the impact, but it still hurt tremendously. Her hands and knees, however, had no such protection and were instantly scraped as Nora caught herself on the floor. Wheezing for air, Nora tried to roll with the fall as much as she could, and curled in on herself as the floor above continued to fall behind her.

 _This is so_ not _how I pictured my day going. I just wanted to go and see my parents, spend some time with them before working and saving up for my own place. I wanted to make some new friends, maybe try out a new hair color, find some new music to dance to. I just wanted to live, not get buried alive on Asgard! I didn't want to be here again... Well, I did, but not like this! And that crazy dude with the weird eyes was a freaking weirdo..._

The sound of debris crashing behind her made Nora flinch, bringing her from her thoughts and scrambling to her knees. Instantly, filled with an obscene amount of relief she had survived, she patted herself down carefully to make sure she was still whole. Her foot was buried under some small chunks and rubble but she managed to pull it out without much trouble. Dirt and dust filled the air, causing her to cough and bury her nose in her arm.

"Just great," she murmured into her arm. It was pitch black and she had no idea where the heck she was in the palace. _At least the floor didn't give out on me,_ she thought trying to be optimistic. That optimism started to fade as she used her other arm to feel for the wall as she began walking again. A sharp pain in her back sent pains shooting down her spine as she walked, making her wince with nearly every step.

Every once in a while, rubble would fall and echo through the silence like gunshots. Nora waited each time for the entire place to collapse on top of her, desperately wishing for someone to save her. She didn't have powers or any considerable strength that could help her in any way. Too bad Loki didn't know she was here. He'd help her somehow, probably complaining how she managed to find a way into trouble. But he'd help nonetheless. Maybe the twins would find a way to help her from the pitch dark labyrinth that was the palace. They were the only ones that knew she was here, after all. Heimdall knew, but he probably jumped through the Bifrost before the observatory was completely destroyed.

"Dammit," she grumbled, slapping her cheeks with her hands. She had survived worse than this! She wasn't being mauled on by some invisible alien and bleeding to death. She could, and somehow _would,_ find a way out of the palace. Forcing herself to dwell on getting out, she silenced any negative thoughts from her brain. Shrugging off her jacket, she shoved it into the bag and grabbed the water bottle she had stashed in there after she left work. The hallway was beginning to get stifling hot, and the water soothed her parched throat.

A flicker of light caught her attention to her right. She could see a tall sliver of flickering light beyond the opposite wall. Using her hands, Nora shuffled towards it. She wasn't afraid of the dark (thankfully) but she still preferred for there to be some source of light around. She hit a large, smooth heavy surface that she realized was a door instead of a wall. Pushing it open barely enough to squeeze through, Nora found herself at the top of some stairs above a small walkway with different pedestals off to each side. A large bowl with a fire blazing in it brightened the darkened room enough for Nora to see fairly well.

Taking the steps carefully, Nora peered through the room and saw that each pedestal had an object on top. There was a large slab of what looked like rock with some odd scribbles on it. What Nora deemed the Fire Bowl, kept on sending a flickering light through the room. She couldn't see any fuel for the fire to keep burning as it did, but it never wavered. She figured magic was involved somehow and tried not to question it too much. There was a glove sitting on another stand. _Who loses their glove in such an odd place? Were they still looking for it?_ A large eye looking piece of metal glinted in the dark, the center seeming to glow slightly in the dancing firelight. As she moved, Nora felt slightly unnerved as it seemed to follow her through the room like a painting did. She pointedly tried to ignore it. There was an empty pedestal, and then there was a shield looking slab of metal with a glowing sphere in the center. Ever curious, Nora poked at the sphere quickly, half expecting for her to get shocked or something. She ran her hand along the metal surface, while she looked around again.

Suddenly, the metal object began falling backwards, causing Nora to scramble quickly to catch it. She looked around frantically, like she expected Odin himself to find her nearly breaking these strange objects down there. Then she shook her head at herself, sighing. There was no one around to catch her breaking anything...not that anything was broke! Releasing a breath, she precariously balanced the hunk of metal back on the small stands on the pedestal to keep the object upright. As soon as it stood upright, the glowing sphere popped out and hurdled towards the floor.

"Jeez," Nora sighed heavily after just barely catching it. She really was a walking disaster sometimes. Like when she nearly burned herself with the torch. She didn't need a collapsing palace to cause her harm, it seemed she'd find a way to do it herself.

The sphere was surprisingly light in her hands. It was large enough she needed both hands to hold it, but it weighed about as much as a softball. Just what were these things down here? She hadn't been down here when she made Loki show her around. Was it a room of mementos or odd trinkets that Odin or someone wanted to keep? Were they weapons of some kind?

A sudden clinking noise startled Nora as she immediately looked around. Everything looked normal, or as normal as she knew it to be.

 _What the hell?_

Her heart began pounding quicker as she looked around. The clinking had stopped as she walked back to the stairs and she wondered if she was going crazy. Was her mind playing tricks on her, making her hear imaginary noises?

What if she wasn't alone down there?

* * *

Loki pushed his way through thick brush in the woods as he made his way towards the Vanaheim portal. After teleporting into the city, he checked the nearest homes and shops to see if anyone had been left behind. After searching for a few minutes and trying to sense anyone, he discovered the area was completely empty. He had to give the Asgardians credit; as battle prepared as they were most of the time, they were swift to evacuate. Frankly, he was impressed they listened to his orders at all. Sensing no one nearby, he hoped that the warriors remembered the Asgardians that lived away from the majority of the populous.

Running a hand over his face slowly, Loki looked back at the remains of the palace. What didn't appear to be aflame, seemed to be collapsing in on itself slowly. There had been no more explosions, and he hadn't seen or heard any disturbances from whoever those two men were. He couldn't sense them with his magic, but his magic was already low so he didn't rely on his findings too much. Then again, he had seen the one make a portal to the Void so maybe they had moved somewhere besides Asgard.

 _Like I've ever been that lucky,_ he scoffed mentally at himself. Knowing his luck, they'd probably appear next to him and try to kill him.

Suddenly, he felt a slight disturbance in the air behind him. "You've got to be kidding me," he snarled under his breath, whirling around while grabbing a pair of knives from one of his straps across his side. Instantly shifting into an attacking stance, he lunged near the small area he could feel the slight distortion of space. He'd be damned if they caught him off guard. He'd kill them before they had the chance to attack. Two startled shouts sounded in his ears as he lunged. Before Loki knew any better he was being thrown into a nearby tree somewhat painfully.

"What on Helheim are you doing?!" Ryssa's voice snapped at him angrily. Loki looked up quickly, immediately relaxing his muscles. The twins stood in front of him, clearly afraid and covered in dust and small pieces of rubble.

"You're alive," Loki blurted, calming himself down. He had been prepared for an attack, a fight for his very life, not an ally. Definitely not the twins. He thought they were...

"Of course we're alive," Ryssa snapped again. "Why did you attack us? What a way to treat children, your mother must be _so_ proud."

"Ryssa, calm down," Arryth's voice soothed.

She turned to her brother. "I'm not going to be calm. We nearly got buried alive back there! If Nora hadn't pushed you out of the way, you'd be dead! You're lucky I had barely enough magic to get us-"

"Nora?" Loki interrupted the girl's ramblings. There was no way... She couldn't be here. She was on Midgard. "Tell me this Nora isn't a-"

"Human, yes," Arryth answered, quickly. "We need to head back and see if we can sense her. The ceiling collapsed and she pushed me towards Ryssa and then ran the other direction. She may have made it, somehow."

"We're not going back there," Ryssa declared. "We have basically no magic left, we're exhausted; there is no way we can help her even if she somehow survived."

Loki noticed the telltale signs of panic on the girl's face. They were young and raised in a near conflict-free realm, they weren't used to having a close brush with death. While he understood her panic and fear, he didn't appreciate it at the moment. Not when Nora was somewhere inside the palace still.

 _Damn,_ he cursed mentally. "Which part of the palace, do you know?" Loki asked quickly, hoping to keep the children focused.

"Somewhere beneath the main halls," Arryth answered. "We kept heading downwards..."

"Stay here," Loki ordered the two and began running towards the palace again. Heart beating quickly, he pushed himself with newfound adrenaline. He wasn't sure how Nora managed to get her way onto Asgard, or when she arrived, but he was going to find her. Between cursing her for her proclivity for trouble and hoping he'd find her alive, he made his way quickly back towards the ruins of the palace.

* * *

It turned out Nora wasn't alone deep within the palace. She had nearly made it to the steps when she spotted another hallway almost directly behind the stairs. Nora had seen enough scary movies to know that going down into the already dark hallway probably wasn't smart; but she rationalized that the only threats to her seemed to be the palace itself by collapsing on top of her, and that strange man that transported her to Asgard in the first place. If it was the man, he hadn't seemed shy in trying to kill her face to face. Part of her doubted that he'd hide in a dark and hidden hall just to get to her.

After hearing more rattling, Nora decided to venture into the dark hallway. _The rest of the palace is already dark, what's one more hallway? Maybe this one has a way out._ Part of her hoped she'd find someone down here so she wouldn't be alone, but the other part of her didn't. If someone was down the nearly secret hallway, they could be injured and she was in no shape to provide any form of assistance.

Nervously tapping her hand against her leg, she headed down the hall. Her heart began beating quickly as she walked, unsure of what she would find. Thankfully, the Asgardians loved their torches; she had snagged an unlit one from its brackets and then lit it with the Fire Bowl. At first she hadn't found anything but the seemingly endless smooth walls of the hallway, but then she noticed that the hall began to widen and eventually the smooth halls turned into an earthy tunnel.

 _Was it earth if it was on Asgard?_ Nora idly wondered.

The tunnel eventually came to a sudden drop off, and Nora tried to peer through the dark. _Tell me I did not just waste my time for a dead end..._

A sudden flame erupted to her right, causing Nora to jump. Looking, she realized it was a torch built into the wall that had suddenly lit itself. "That's not at all creepy," Nora muttered to herself. Before she was even finished talking, several other torches along the wall lit up one by one, leading down the stairs into the dark. The clinking began again, louder this time.

"Hello?" Nora called, her voice bouncing back at her. She looked at the stairs leading downward and looked around again in the somewhat light the torches provided. It looked like some sort of cave. The clinking answered her again, and this time she could hear a quiet rasping sound.

Seeing no other option besides turning back (which seemed counterproductive), Nora slowly walked down the stairs. She tried not to wince at the pain in her back, but the dull throbbing turned sharp when her backpack would rustle against her. There were probably around fifty stairs carved into the ground, leading downwards at a slight curve. The ground after the stairs was rough and uneven, and even with the extra light from the new torches, Nora had to tread carefully.

More quiet rasping sounded, causing Nora to squint ahead of her. She could make out the silhouette of a large body with its arms out to the sides. Chains were binding the person to the cave ground, which were causing the clinking noise as the person struggled slightly. Looking around in the dark, Nora made her way towards the person. "Who are you?" she wondered aloud, making sure to stop a handful of feet away. Nora realized it was a man that was chained, despite the long and stringy hair that covered his face. The rest of him was completely naked, and Nora's cheeks turned red as she pointedly avoided anywhere other than the cave walls and where his face was hidden behind his hair. Hoarse rasping sounded again and he weakly flicked his head sideways to move his hair away. Nora noticed a chain that was fastened to a large metal collar around his neck and attached to the cave floor.

"Wa...wat..." he rasped.

"What? Wha...wa..?" Nora scrunched up her face. "Oh! Water!" Fumbling back into her bag, she dug through her few clothes and jacket and got her nearly empty water bottle out. Once she held it, she looked at the man closely. He was obviously a prisoner down here. Why, she had no idea, and probably didn't want to know to begin with. Debating whether or not to give him any water, Nora decided to. It was clear that he was weak and couldn't escape or he would have by now. Again, she pointedly tried ignoring his nakedness, trying only to focus on his shoulders and up. Carefully, she maneuvered the bottle to his mouth and he greedily gulped what was left. Pity filled Nora as she watched. The way he was chained, his arms were stretched to the sides with no slack, his feet bound by more manacles with only a few inches of slack in between and bolted to the ground. He couldn't move hardly at all, and by the way he was drinking (plus a quick look at his torso) he was definitely malnourished and dehydrated.

Standing away from him, Nora pulled the empty bottle back and shoved it in the side pocket of the backpack. Suddenly, his body lurched forward forcefully, his arms straining towards her violently, making Nora yelp and fell backwards on her butt.

Glaring, she snapped her head up. "Seriously?! Not even a hello before you try to kill me? Even after I helped you?" Angry, she stood up with quick decisive movements. _This is what I get for helping,_ she huffed and stomped back to the curved stairs. _No good deed goes unpunished as the saying goes. I could be out of here by now. Well... maybe out of here,_ she mentally amended.

"Keys," the man said after her, his voice deep and gravelly with disuse. Nora ignored him and kept walking, trying to maintain her footing in her stomped anger. "Human, grab. The. Keys," he barked out a bit louder so it echoed around the cave.

"What keys?" Nora whirled, snapping at him in the dim light. He glared his irritation at her, and pointedly stared about twenty feet away from her towards the cave wall. Looking over quickly she could make out the old fashioned looking key ring hanging on the wall. "Ha!" Nora guffawed at him. "As if I'd let you out after trying whatever the hell that was. I'm leaving."

"I can lead you out of here," he called after her as she ascended the rough steps. Nora merely rolled her eyes and kept going. "You help me, I can help you," he tried again.

"I already helped you," she snapped.

After a few seconds of silence, he called out again. "You're young Jotun male is rushing his way here right now."

 _Loki,_ she paused for a second. Then she shook her head at herself. _There's no way he'd know that._

"Quite the stomper when he's in a hurry," the man mused, tilting his head upwards. "He usually has more finesse than that." Then he smirked. "Must be worried about some _thing._ "

"And how would you know that?" Nora asked as the thought went through her mind.

"You help me, I'll help you," he repeated, a smirk obvious in his tone.

Nora took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She had little patience after the events of the day and she could feel herself at her wits end. "No," she told him. "I already helped you, it's your turn. I've had a long day, either you help me or I'm out of here and you can stay down here indefinitely. Everyone's gone, there'd be no one else to help you."

Silence answered her, and she waited. It didn't matter to her either way what he did. But she couldn't deny if he knew a way out that it would be tremendously helpful. Plus, he had said Loki was on his way there, so even if she were to just walk away she could wait for him. Even if the man was lying to get free, Nora could still just walk away and somehow find a way out herself. It may take her a bit longer, but she'd manage. Finally, after a few more silence filled moments, she kept going up the steps. He hadn't answered, and she didn't have time for games.

"Fine," he called out after her, frustration lacing his voice. "I'll help you get out of here."

* * *

Loki panted quietly, controlling his breathing the way his limited warrior training taught him to. He was nearly back to the palace, and he was coming up on the south eastern wall. He had been a few miles away, but had made good timing. Trees surrounded him and a large hillside held up the outer walls of the palace. Now, he just had to find a way inside the deep tunnels beneath the palace to find Nora.

 _If she was still alive,_ he thought with forced calm. He was worried, but he was also a warrior. He wouldn't waste time fretting about possibilities of what could happen. He'd find a way in and figure out where she was, then he'd deal with it. Until then, he focused on one thing at a time. Find a way inside. Find Nora. Deal with whatever he found.

Coming up to the hillside, Loki paused for a quick moment to catch his breath. There was a stitch in his side as he breathed, but he easily paid it no mind. Almost desperately, he wished he could just teleport around like he was used to. Sneaking around the palace was easy enough normally, but now that most of it was in ruins it limited him completely. Not to mention he was running low on magic anyway. He had enough magic left to teleport a few more times, maybe cast an illusion or two, but that was it.

"Lokiiiii!"

He whirled as Nora's voice shouted from somewhere nearby. _Well, she's alive,_ he thought with a small smile, feeling abnormally relieved. Looking up the hillside about halfway, he spotted her hiking down the hill quickly, using the trees to help keep her balanced. Making his way closer to her, he noticed that her clothes, like the twins', was covered in dirt and slightly singed in some places.

"Loki!" Nora yelled again, reaching the bottom of the hills and launching herself at him. Startled as she grabbed him in a tight hug and buried her face in his chest, Loki stood there unsure what to do. She began trembling slightly as she clung to him. Loki stood there silently as he tried to think of what to do. He had limited experience with crying women, and was mostly unsure what to do. _Leave it to Nora to throw me into unfamiliar territory,_ he thought wryly. "You really are the master at attracting trouble, aren't you?" he asked gently, his tone soothing.

"Says the god of mischief," she responded easily, a strained laugh escaping her.

"You look like a mess," he told her, before catching himself. He knew women got touchy about their looks. He had learned his lesson with Sif centuries ago.

She rolled her eyes. "Just what every girl wants to hear," she smirked, poking him in the chest. "But you don't have to tell me that, I'm sure I look a little worse for wear. I've been nearly blown up, attacked by some dude, nearly buried alive, and lost in the dark with yet _another guy,_ who let's just say has issues with clothing apparently. I had to lend him my large sweatpants I brought with me for pajamas which I can now _never_ wear again-"

As she was talking (rambling at this point), Loki heard another person headed down the hill at a much slower pace than Nora had. The man was tall, probably a couple inches taller than Loki was; his long hair swinging around wildly with each step. He still had shackles on each of his wrists, but he was otherwise free of his chains. Sensing that Loki wasn't paying attention, Nora turned and looked where Loki was focused. "It's about time. You'd think he'd want to get out quicker than I did," Nora grumbled.

"Nora, what did you do?" Loki demanded quietly.

She frowned slightly. "Look, I know he's a prisoner and all, but I couldn't just leave him there to starve to death. Or get crushed. Not that I didn't think of it," she added quickly." He's really annoying, and he also owes me a favor still. Haven't decided what it is yet. But even if he runs he can't get the shackles off, he tried for like ten minutes."

The man finally stumbled to the bottom of the hill, sauntering over like he wasn't shackled and weak. "Let's not act rashly," the man smirked, holding up his hands. "No need to attack the prisoner." His face scrunched in thought. "Or, would that be ex-prisoner now? If only Odin were here, I'd rub it in his face."

Slowly, subtly, Loki reached for one of his knives again. If this was his only chance to kill him now, then he was going to take it.

"No need to attack me, _King Loki,_ " the man taunted, standing up tall. "I bear no ill-will, for now at least. I doubt your little human would appreciate you killing me in front of her."

Nora's head whipped back and forth quickly between the two. "Whoa whoa whoa, no killing! Seriously, I've had my fill of death and destruction and near brushes with death for one day. I can't-"

"Do you know who you've released?" Loki nearly snarled at Nora. He watched a flicker of fear in her eyes, but he couldn't regret it. Not after all he had to deal with for the last couple hours.

"Then tell me who this man is," she told him, crossing her arms in front of her defensively.

Gripping his knife, Loki once again tried to prepare himself for a fight. "He's hardly a man." Nora looked confused at Loki, then turned to look at the topic of conversation. He could practically hear her thinking. "His name," Loki finished, "is Fenrir."

* * *

 **Dun dun duuuun... So, I'm am taking creative liberty on Odin's vault and some of the objects inside. I haven't read the comic books but I've done a bit of research and tried to make them my own. It's been interesting to say the least. As you can also see, I've delved into some of the Norse mythology to create my version of Fenrir. I'm not sticking to the original mythology though; I'm just using it for a basis for characters.**

 **Anyway, please review and let me know what you think! I'd be forever grateful!**

 **PS. Havarti2 asked me if I would make a BuckyxDarcy fic, and I have agreed! (Ask and ye shall receive and all that ;)) Nothing has been started yet, but it should be fun! If anyone else wants to help with that, that would be awesome. I'm not as familiar with Bucky so any tips or suggestions would be amazing! I know there's plenty of Bucky love on tumblr, so someone should be able to help me!**

 **Anyway, like Nora, I'm rambling. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and hope you can't wait until the next one! Much love! -K**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello you fantastic people! This chapter is coming to you sooner than some of the last few. But you can give yourselves a pat on the back for that. I've gotten some very kind reviews and feedback from a few of you, and I have been writing like the wind on my days off work!**

* * *

Nora sat against a large tree as she looked at everyone. The twins were leaning against each on the ground against a large tree, sleeping soundly. They looked so exhausted and worn down that Nora felt pity for them. Children shouldn't have to go through all this. They should be playing and lively, but they weren't human either. Maybe other realms were different in their approach to children. Loki sat on the ground as well, slightly leaned back as he watched Fenrir closely. Similar to the twins, he looked exhausted, even though he kept a stoic expression. His fancier coat and clothes were dirty and the golden plates of armor were no longer shiny. He kept his arms near his sides, where Nora knew he kept spare knives.

Fenrir on the other hand, looked smug and seemed to be enjoying himself. Like everyone else, he was sitting on the ground, gleefully returning Loki's stare. He didn't seem to care about anything that happened; he seemed content just to stick around. The sun was just about to dip below the horizon, and Nora could finally get a decent look at him. His skin was pale from being in the dark cave for an indefinite amount of time. Even though he looked malnourished, his muscles were still slightly defined and not completely atrophied from disuse. Nora wondered how that worked, but figured it was something with magic. It always seemed to be magic when something didn't make sense. She pulled her legs up and rested her arms over her knees, her chin resting on her arms. Thinking about their time in the cave, she felt the cool press of the keys in her hand.

 _"I've been wondering something," Nora asked Fenrir as she approached him with the keys. "I'm assuming you're probably dangerous since, you know, you're down here and shackled in some underground cave; so why haven't you tried to escape? I mean, the keys were literally hanging there on the wall."_

 _"You think that was by accident, human? Odin is far too cruel for that," he had spat, watching her approach slowly on the unsteady floor, keys in hand._

 _Watching him carefully, Nora kept trudging towards him. His arms were still slightly straining against the long chains keeping him in place. Surely that was eight different kinds of uncomfortable, she thought. She still kept her eyes away from his lower half. While she wasn't a prude, she also didn't want to see some dudes junk that she had never met before. "So, what, I'm just supposed to unshackle you and hope you keep your word? I'm not stupid, I've read enough books and watched enough TV to know what could happen here," Nora rambled nervously. Even though he was shackled, she still pictured him breaking free somehow and killing her._

 _He gave her a forcefully patient look, which didn't fool Nora one bit. He also remained silent, but eagerly watched her as she came close. Nora looked down at the key ring and watched as the two keys clinked together quietly. "You better not kill me after this," she mumbled under her breath as she reached over to his left shackle around his wrist. "I will seriously haunt you for all eternity; I'll find a way. I'm fairly stubborn that way." She knew the threat was unintimidating as anything she had ever heard, and that it didn't frighten this guy in the slightest. But she was serious. If ghosts were a real thing, she'd find a way to haunt him for the rest of his life._

 _As soon as she got closer, Nora realized the man had three sets of shackles on. One was fastened tightly around his forearms. Those didn't seem to be chained or connected to anything. Another set was fastened around his wrists; those were the ones connected to the ground on opposite sides of him, keeping him from moving around too much. The last shackle was fastened tightly around his throat, and that was bolted to the floor between his legs as he stood. He literally had no room to move his upper body... Should she be letting him go?_

 _"Any time now, would be phenomenal," he nearly growled._

 _"Oh, stop it," Nora snapped at him. "I'm the one letting you out, so you'll go on my time, buddy. Now hold still." As soon as she raised her arms to the shackle on his left wrist, his arm immediately jerked backwards the couple inches that it was capable. She tried again and again, but his arm always jerked away from her, straining against the chains. Nora exhaled sharply and glared at the man. "I said to stay still! I can't let you go if you keep jerking like that."_

 _He turned to her, face pulled into a snarl. "I'm trying, you imbecilic human! Why do you think I haven't released myself?" Nora had taken a couple involuntary steps backwards as he shouted at her, her pulse racing as his voice boomed around her. "The keys are enchanted against the shackles. When they come into close proximity, they repel each other."_

 _"That's why Odin left them in here," she realized. "You couldn't use them even if you escaped."Another low growl rumbled in his throat. "Oh, quit growling at me. Jeez, you'd think you were some kind of animal or something," Nora rolled her eyes. "Now try to hold still, alright. I'm going to try and get this shackle off."_

 _After a few moments of awkward struggling, Nora finally scraped the key along the metal surface until it slid inside the keyhole, turning it to unlock it from his chained arm. Nora let out a noise of triumph while he just rolled his eyes._ Such a sourpuss, _Nora thought with an eye roll of her own. The other arm had been easier since Nora knew what to expect. It was strangely fascinating how the metal repelled each other; almost like magnets, but not quite the same. After the other arm shackle, the only one that still chained him there was the one around his neck._

 _"Alright, seriously, do you have any pants?" Nora demanded, while blocking parts of her vision with her hands._

 _He huffed at her. "Don't like my being nude, human?"_

 _"Not particularly, no," Nora answered honestly. "Oh!" she gasped and reached for the zipper on her bag. The guy just stood there rolling his arms and stretching, not paying her any attention. "Here," she called, throwing her larger pair of sweat pants at him. They were far too big on her (she had to roll them up in the waist and legs several times just to almost fit) but they would probably fit him alright enough so he wasn't walking around butt naked the whole time._

 _He looked at the pants like Nora would a spider. She hated spiders. "What are these?" he demanded, turning them over and over to look at them._

 _"Pants, to cover up. Put them on," Nora told him. He had outright refused at first. Nora wasn't even sure why, they were gray so it wasn't like she handed him a fluffy pink pair with penguins on them. They weren't girly and they didn't smell weird. Maybe he preferred to be naked? After threatening to leave him there, only half free, he started grumbling under his breath in some other language as he shoved his legs through the pants._

 _"Satisfied now?" he snarled. The pants were a bit tight in the waist and they weren't quite long enough to reach his ankles, but they did the job well enough. Nora made some witty retort in response, and told him to try and hold still for her to unclasp the shackle around his neck. That certainly wasn't one of her finer moments. Not only was he taller than her, thanks to the keys and whatever magic they had, he kept jerking away from her as she attempted to let him go._

 _They had shouted at each other in frustration after a little while, but eventually she heard the anticipated click, and Fenrir had been virtually free. After he was free of his chains, he demanded she release his cuffs on his arms. He wouldn't tell her why he wanted them gone too, and she had refused. He was being very particular about them, and as they weren't chaining him down, she found it suspicious._

 _"You already owe me, and I'll take that favor in payment of the way out. I'll think about those once you get me out of here," she had told him, then demanded he start leading the way out of the cave. She figured it was best to keep whatever sliver of power she had with the keys._

 _She had been confused after he started towards the back of the cave, away from the torch light and the staircase upstairs. He had seemed confident on where he was headed though, and after waiting for a few seconds, Nora had trekked quickly to catch up. He led her through the back of the cave and through a small tunnel that she never would have seen if not for him. They had come out on the side of a huge hill, the palace looming behind them._

 _Quickly, he pointed her attention down and to the right of the hill. "And there's your Jotun, like I said. Now rel-"_

 _Nora froze momentarily. Loki was right there. He had come back for her. With all the craziness that had happened within the last few hours of her life, she needed something that wasn't unpredictable. Before he had even finished his sentence, Nora was racing down the hill towards Loki. He turned as she shouted and she had nearly flown into his chest like some cheesy chick-flick, but she couldn't help it. Loki was familiar, strong, and she desperately needed to feel safe after everything that had happened. Immense relief flowed through her as she squeezed him tighter, making sure he was real._

Of course, after feeling better than she had since Arryth helped her, Loki had gotten tense (and a little irritated) at her letting Fenrir go. Of course, she hadn't known it was Fenrir at the time as he didn't give her his name before. Personally, she couldn't remember much about Fenrir from her limited knowledge of Norse mythology. She remembered that he was supposed to be a wolf or something, and that he was supposedly Loki's child. When she asked that question, the look on both of the men's faces were priceless. Both looked downright appalled she would suggest such a thing. Before she could respond, the twins had come running through the tallish grass towards them. After some quick smiles and hugs from the them, Loki decided they needed to get a bit away from the palace. Which led them to a small clearing with a nearby stream, and a small fire going as they all sat around to rest a bit.

"I believe you still owe me the rest of our deal. You must release me from these disgusting shackles," Fenrir told Nora, turning to look at her.

"She will do no such thing," Loki answered with a nonchalant tone. "You're lucky you're out walking around."

"This is hardly a matter that concerns _you_ , Jotun," Fenrir nearly growled at Loki. Then he looked back to Nora.

His deep brown eyes held hers steadily, but they were definitely intense as they bore into her. Nora sat up a little higher, lifting her chin from her arms. "Our deal is over. I released you and you showed me a way out and to Loki," Nora told him, her voice quiet but steady as he stared her down. "In fact, you owe me for giving you the rest of my water anyhow if you want to be all tit-for-tat."

A low growl rumbled from his throat as he jumped up in a blur. Nora flinched back and Loki jumped up too, now holding his knives in his hands. Her quick rush of fear was quickly overshadowed by anger and irritation. What did he even expect to do? It wasn't like he could uncuff himself, he couldn't even touch the keys much less use them! "Do you think trying to scare me or intimidate me would get me to get those cuffs off you?" Nora snapped, stretching out her legs in front of her. "This isn't some kind of deal. Seeing who can do what for whom. How about just asking me nicely? Saying please?" she huffed sharply. Then, just to be spiteful, she threw the keys into her bra. Out of sight, out of mind. If anyone tried to grab them, she'd punch them in the face like Steve had showed her. She was sure she wouldn't do a whole lot of damage but she was angry and didn't really care at that point.

Fenrir's eyes followed the keys and stopped at her chest, making Nora slightly uncomfortable at him staring. But she couldn't complain, she was the one who tossed the keys down her shirt. He stood there, breathing slowly and still staring, before looking Nora in the eyes again and turning on his heel to walk into the dense trees.

"Just leave him be," Nora suggested to Loki as he started to follow after Fenrir. "He's a bit touchy. I think he's just naturally angry anyway being imprisoned for so long."

"Don't feel sorry for him," Loki demanded, looking down at her with his arms crossed. "You should never have let him go to begin with."

Nora sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You're still mad, I get it. I let loose a criminal, but it was probably the only way I was getting out of that palace alive. I'd rather be alive with a fairly controllable criminal then dead underneath some slabs of marble!" She had meant to keep her tone nice and relaxed, but by the end she was definitely getting snappy. To keep from saying anything else, she wrapped her arms around her knees again. She felt irritable and surprisingly antagonistic, so she tried to keep her mouth shut. Tried, being the key word. Her mind still internally argued her thoughts and feelings, only serving to make her angrier as she sat there. He hadn't even told her why Fenrir had been imprisoned.

Who the hell was Loki to question her choices, anyway? He was the one that was an ex-villain. _Sorry if I didn't want to die beneath the stupid palace,_ she hissed mentally _._ She had only been running from some crazy man with insane powers, who was no doubt going to kill her. She was only human, unable to even defend herself against any of this insanity. She hadn't wanted any of this! Was it so much to ask for her normal life back? Before explosions and death and chaos and other realms...

A slight weight on her shoulders made Nora look up to what was pressing on her. It was Loki's coat. Looking up at him questioningly, he heaved a deep sigh and sat next to her, putting a few feet of distance between them. "It's been a long day for all of us," he sighed. "We're all exhausted and stressed." There was a short pause before he looked at her. "...I'm sorry. You did what you had to, I understand that."

Shocked, she stared at him for a moment, before running her hands over her face and groaning. "You're actually apologizing, so I must've been a super bitch. I'm sorry too, I don't know why I'm just so..." she curled her hands in front of her, unable to describe her turmoil of emotions.

"Angry? Irritable?" Loki suggested. Nora nodded slowly, looking over at him. "It's a natural reaction when you go through an intense ordeal. You should have seen me after-" he promptly stopped talking, grimacing slightly.

Nora gave him a small smile. He didn't have to say, she could put it together. _After he came back from the Void._ Then she sighed and began to chuckle. Loki watched her with an elegantly raised eyebrow in question. "We're all a mess, aren't we?" she chuckled quietly, looking over to the twins. Although, she couldn't blame them in the slightest. The twins had used a excessive amount of magic throughout a short time to help everyone, then had tried to help her. Loki had lost his home, and most of his family were missing. And didn't Nora just feel like crap for snapping at him with her problems. His were far more serious, and he wasn't taking them out on her. Exhaling slowly, she watched the little fire in front of her, thinking over everything that had happened.

* * *

Loki watched Nora as she sat there, mentally lost inside her thoughts. It was odd for him to see her like that, as he was used to her being full of wit and endless questions. Looking around at the four of them, Loki had to admit Nora was right: They were all, in her words, a mess. Loki counted himself lucky, however. None of them were physically injured at least, just physically exhausted from overusing their magic and running around.

He kept an eye out for his surroundings. He didn't trust Fenrir, wherever he wandered off to. Thankfully, his enchantments to keep him humanoid remained, so he was significantly weakened from his true form. However, Fenrir was still dangerous. Loki wanted nothing more than to run him through (several times), but it would do him no good. It wasn't like Fenrir would die, but perhaps it would hurt him. Then again, Fenrir had been right; Nora probably wouldn't take kindly to watching him slice the stupid wolf apart. Loki could tell she was trying to deal with whatever she had gone through, and he wasn't going to make it worse for her. However, it didn't stop him from _thinking_ about torturing the wolf.

Suddenly, Nora stood up folding his coat over her arm. Walking over to the sleeping twins, she covered them as they slept, his coat serving as a blanket. Was it cold out? Loki couldn't tell. It felt alright to him, but then again he was Jotun so he was more adaptable to the cold. Plus, he was used to Asgardian weather anyhow. She grabbed her bag from the ground, wincing as she dug through the contents.

"Are you injured?" Loki asked, watching her in the firelight. Perhaps he had been wrong. She seemed to be able to move alright, and nothing appeared to be broken.

"Huh?" she asked, sighing and pulling extra clothes and random supplies from her bag and onto the ground. Before he could ask again, she shook her head. "Not really, just bruised I'm sure. A chunk of the ceiling hit me in the back and it's a bit sore. Thankfully it just grazed me and didn't crush me... Aha!" she smirked, pulling her jacket from her backpack.

"What do you even need all that for?" Loki asked, surprised she could fit so much into her bag.

She shook her head at him. "Never underestimate a girl's bag or purse. I have just about everything in here. A few extra clothes-I was headed to visit my parents before I ended up here, some makeup, an empty water bottle, ketchup packets?..." she rattled off, showing him as she pulled more things out. "There's notebooks in here, tons of pens, hair ties and bobby pins... I even have some Cheetos in here!" she smiled, pulling the bag out excitedly. Then her face scrunched up in thought. "When did I have Cheetos last? Probably best to not eat those... I'm sure they're stale by now. Um... I have some-"

"What's that?" Loki asked and pointed, interrupting her from talking. While he was glad she was somewhat normal now, or as normal as she could be, something had caught his eye. It wasn't so much what he could see, but what he sensed, wrapped up in one of her shirts.

A quick look of confusion gave way to a carefully blank look. "Ummm... Yeah... I nearly forgot about this..." she said, a forcefully hesitant smile on her face. She unwrapped her blue shirt and pulled out a small sphere. "I found it while I was lost. I thought maybe it was a weapon or something, but it doesn't seem to do anything. I needed something to help protect myself," she defended. "I'm only a human, you know. I don't have superhuman strength or magic... Why are you smirking at me?"

Loki couldn't help it, he started laughing at her. "You have no idea what it does, so you took it? That simple?" She frowned at him. "Toss it here," he told her, still slightly laughing. Still frowning, she tossed it to him gently. "You know, Nora, you really are something else. First you insult Odin when you meet him, then you let Fenrir go. Now you're telling me you stole from his weapons vault..." Loki would pay a lot of gold and coin to see Odin's face if he were here. Loki was sure Odin's eye would twitch in anger, that one vein on his temple would be sticking out. He knew exactly the look the Allfather would have on his face, Loki had it directed at him enough to know. Nora was giving him a run for his money for mischief-maker.

"I didn't steal it!" she protested quickly, then quieted her voice so she wouldn't wake the elves. "Stealing it implies I was going to keep it and never return it. I just... borrowed it for a while..." she defended. "You're telling me it _is_ a weapon? It didn't help me at all..." she mumbled, eyeing the orb like it betrayed her.

"This is the Orb of Agamotto. Not a typical weapon in the sense of power and the potential for destruction, but it can peer into the realms and reveal where powerful magic is being used. It can also detect potential danger to a realm of the user's choice." Loki turned the small sphere in his hand easily. "It can also be used to teleport people through the realms."

Nora perked up. "It can get us out of here?!"

Loki shook his head, feeling bad for watching the hope on her face be crushed. "Odin had all the weapons in his vault magically sealed by the best enchanters and enchantresses around to make sure if they were ever stolen, and the thief somehow made their way pass the destroyer, that the items would be fairly useless, for a short while at least. He made sure to renew the spells every couple years, and only he has the counter spell. It would take at least a few days for the enchantments to even begin wearing off."

He watched as Nora thought about what he said. "But we can use it in a few days right? I can go home?"

Loki nodded. "Tomorrow after we have rested a while, I will lead us to the portal to Vanaheim. That is where the Asgardians were headed when they evacuated. Once we are there and the orb restores its power, I'll take you back."

"Thank the gods!" Nora sighed, shoving the rest of her remaining things into her bag. "I'm sure you're somewhat used to all this fighting and chaos, I mean you've been a warrior for forever. I'm sure you've seen your fair share of battles and destruction, but I haven't. And I'm not afraid to admit I am next to useless in these situations. Well, actually, I'm completely useless in these situations." After zipping up her bag, she wondered back near Loki to lean back against a tree.

Loki watched her again from the corner of his eyes. She may not be handy in a fight, but she wasn't useless. "Why don't you tell me how you ended up here?" he suggested, hoping to help her in some way.

* * *

The next morning, they had all woken up as the sun began rising. Fenrir had come back while Nora was telling Loki how she had gotten to Asgard and how she found her way to Fenrir. Loki had still seemed slightly tense, and Nora could tell he needed some kind of distraction. He was acting similar to his time on Earth when he'd indulge her in her endless inquiries to distract him from his worry about getting home. Nora had said she was useless in these kind of situations, but she could talk and distract like no other, and that seemed to be good enough for now. Talking wasn't completely selfless anyhow, she began to feel slightly better after talking and making sense of what happened.

Nothing still made any sense, but she somehow felt better that she wasn't dealing with it alone.

After Loki decided they should get moving, everyone began following him as he led the way, following some unseen path through the overgrown grass. Most of it reached up to Nora's hips, and it nearly encompassed the twins as they walked. Loki had decided to take the lead since he knew exactly where they were headed. He made Fenrir follow behind him, and then Nora and the twins were at the end of their makeshift line. He told the twins to keep an eye on Fenrir, and told them to blast him if they thought he did anything suspicious.

"You're feeling better, Nora," Arryth smiled up at her, waving some extra long grass pieces from his face.

"I feel better," Nora smiled back. "Thanks to you guys and Loki, I'm not alone and inside a palace in ruins. It's a bit easier on the nerves when you don't have to worry about getting crushed to death every second."

Arryth went to respond, when Fenrir huffed loudly. "Your thanks is appreciated, human. I had _nothing_ to do with you getting out alive," he stated, laying the sarcasm on thick as he stretched his arms as he walked, back still turned to her.

Nora rolled her eyes at him, regardless if he couldn't see it. "Thanks, Fen. You're a _real_ life saver." Seriously, who did he think he was anyway? Acting like he helped her out of the goodness of his heart. She had caught him looking at her shirt a couple times. Little did he know that the keys weren't there anymore. Not that she'd ever tell him that.

"Fen?" he turned around quickly, his lip curled up in distaste.

Nora noticed at some point when he went on his little walk the previous night, that he managed to find some water to clean himself off with. Nora couldn't help but feel a bit jealous; while she had changed her dirt encrusted clothes into something cleaner, she still felt grungy. Nora pulled a piece of her hair in front of her eyes and twirled it between her fingers. Yep, she could definitely use a bath. Or maybe a shower; that bath would be crazy nasty after she sat there for a few minutes. Oh! She had some sanitary wipes from that restaurant her, Pepper, and Darcy had gone to! Maybe those would work for the time being-

"Are you ill, human?" Fenrir asked, concern and confusion pinching his face.

"What?" Nora asked reflexively, before realizing she had been lost in thought again. She could've swore she heard Loki chuckling quietly from in front of them, and she sent him a halfhearted glare. Arryth and Ryssa shrugged at each other, communicating without words. Fenrir finally turned around and kept walking. "How much further, Loki?" Nora asked, trying to look around to see anything besides trees and tall grass that could indicate where he was leading them. It was getting hotter as they walked, and Nora shoved her jacket back into her backpack.

"Not much further," he answered. "Probably around ten more minutes and we should be able to hear the waterfalls."

Waterfalls? Maybe she'd get her chance at a would-be shower sooner than she thought.

* * *

 _No! No! This could not be happening..._

Loki stopped as they reached the shore of the lake formed by the waterfall. The water was just as he remembered; crystal clear and varying degrees of blue depending on the depth of the lake. The waterfall crashed down, emitting a light spray of water on the surrounding area. The grass and weeds were as green as he remembered, the trees still towering over them, creating large shadows on the ground in the burning sun. Everything looked the same...

Except he couldn't feel the portal within the waterfall.

"Don't tell me..." he hissed before running to the path he knew led around to the small trail into the waterfall safely. Ryssa and Nora shouted after him, but he kept going. Pushing through the calf deep water to get to the rocky trail behind the cascading water. There were telltale signs of heavy traffic through the path, so Loki knew the Asgardians had come through here recently.

A vicious curse flew from his mouth as he looked around the small cavern. The portal wasn't there! How was it gone? It was one of the natural portals that always remained! He had traveled through that several times over the past millennia; it couldn't just be gone! Were they disappearing like the realms did for the Bifrost? It had to have disappeared after the Asgardians went through it. There were no signs of anyone leaving the cave.

Grumbling to himself, mind working quickly, he left the cave and made his way back to everyone. He supposed they could try another portal, but the closest one was at least a two day walk on foot. It would be less, but not everyone had Asgardian...Jotun stamina like he did. The twins would probably wear quickly, as would Nora, and they weren't rested up enough to teleport everyone. That portal wasn't his best choice, anyhow. Maybe they could steal one of the flying boats to travel quicker, but then they'd have to go back to the palace and hope they weren't destroyed in their hanger...

"It seems we will have to change tactics," Loki announced. "This portal is-"

Loki's sentence trailed off, and he came to a halt as he saw Nora curled in on herself in the fetal position on the ground. Ryssa was sprawled out, unmoving next to Nora in the dirt. Instantly, Loki teleported to them, his feet sliding on the loose dirt in his haste. "Nora! Nora!" he shouted, reaching out to shake her arm. She instantly recoiled and hissed, flinching away from him. _Shit!_ Loki instantly felt horrible as the hand shaped burn formed on her forearm. Damn it, he should know better! He looked over to Ryssa quickly, and he could see her chest rising and falling. She was alive.

"Disgusting," a voice hissed from nearby.

Loki whirled and let loose one of his throwing knives, his blood turning cold. The Other caught the knife easily, catching it in his two-thumbed hand and tossing it to the ground with ease. He was standing before a shifting portal. "What are you doing here?" Loki demanded, shifting slightly so Nora and Ryssa were behind him.

"Ah ah ah," the Other taunted as Loki went to blast him into the next life. He reached towards the ground, lifting up an unconscious Arryth in his arm. "You attack, I'll kill him. You're playing the hero now, aren't you?" Loki felt his pulse begin to thunder through his body and he clenched his fists. Rage flooded him so intense he was nearly shaking with it. He wanted nothing more than to rip the creature in front of him apart. "You're pathetic," the Other hissed again. "Thanos is _eager_ to see you again."

Loki remained quiet, watching the creature's movements for any sign of attack. He hated the cloaked bastard, almost as much as he despised Thanos. He heard Nora stirring behind him, but she remained quiet. The Other remained standing about twenty feet away, hanging onto Arryth like a coward. "What exactly do you want?" Loki asked, trying to get his anger under control. He needed to be clearheaded; knew he couldn't act rashly. It hadn't ended well for him before, and it wouldn't now.

"It's not what I want, it's what you want," he gloated, his teeth showing through a snarled smile.

"I don't want anything from you," Loki nearly hissed.

"Oh? How about your _brother?_ "

* * *

 **You guys probably thought I forgot about Thor! He's just been...elsewhere. Anyhow, I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Pretty pretty please! They help immensely. I was also thinking about putting this up on ao3 and tumblr, so if any of you are on either of those, be on the lookout if you want. Until the next time, my lovelies! -K**


	20. Chapter 20

Nora swore she was going to punch Fenrir in the face next time she saw him. After all she did to help him (granted he helped her, too) he just up and attacks Ryssa, Arryth, and herself while Loki ran off towards the water. He knocked Ryssa out first, before kicking Nora in the bruised side hard as hell, causing her to fall to her knees and curl in on her side. She thought about calling for Loki, but she currently couldn't breathe. Before she got back up, Fenrir had snatched Arryth, now unconscious as well, and had made his way back into the woods.

 _Asshole,_ Nora grumbled, as she tried to hold her breath from the sharp pains in her side. Suddenly, Loki was there, kneeling over her and shouting. There was a sudden searing pain in her arm and then some new cloaked figure appeared with Arryth in his arms. _Fenrir, you traitor,_ Nora mentally growled. Then again, why was she surprised? He _was_ a criminal, after all. Curse her for trying to think the best of people!

"I don't want anything from you," Loki nearly hissed, anger hardly concealed in his voice.

"Oh? How about your _brother_?" the other man, Nora used the term _man_ loosely, smirked with his weirdly shaped teeth. Nora remained quiet, but did manage to sit up shakily behind Loki. She quickly looked over to Ryssa to check on her; she was breathing, so she was alive.

"You don't have my brother," Loki stated, a new sense of calm in his voice.

"I do enjoy proving you wrong," the creature snickered, pulling out a winged helm and tossing it towards Loki, the metal ringing as it rolled to a stop. From what Nora could see, Loki had frozen as he stared down at the metal helmet and the creature stood there grinning. Quick as a whip, Loki flung his hand out, sending a small, yet dense, blast of energy towards the creature. The cloaked figure moved quickly, forming a blur as he moved out of the way. Nora flinched when about five trees were nearly taken out where Loki's attack had blasted through.

Before Loki could attack again, the creature held out a staff that appeared and he hit the butt of it on the forest floor. A large shifting portal formed behind him as he slowly stepped backwards, Arryth still dangling limp under the creature's arm. "We'll be waiting. Perhaps Lord Thanos will be willing to trade." As soon as he was finished talking, he disappeared backwards into the portal.

Loki started cursing in other languages as he turned back to Nora. She watched as he glared towards the waterfall, chest heaving slowly as he breathed. Not wanting to rush or push him, Nora scooted over to Ryssa to pull her into her arms. After some slight shaking and attempts to awaken the young elf, Ryssa remained unconscious so Nora let her be. She wasn't entirely sure how she'd react to her brother being taken anyhow. If she was anything like Loki with his magic, she'd probably lash out at anyone and anything. She did not want to be on the receiving end of _that._

"What now?" Nora finally asked Loki, looking up at him. He seemed under control now, or at least as much as she could expect from him given the circumstances. Slowly, he turned to her and knelt down.

"I'm going after that bastard, and getting my brother back," he answered concisely, his eyes burning in rage.

She nodded, "Alright, but what if that's what he wants? He wants you to follow him. I don't know anything about what happened with you and that weirdo, but whatever it is-isn't good. It's probably a trap-"

"I know it's a trap," he snapped.

Tamping down her frustration, she let the snappiness go. "So what about us? Are Ryssa and I just going to sit here? Nearly defenseless..."

"I know that, but I still have to-" he began, as he rose and turned for the portal.

"Loki, listen to me," Nora told him, catching his coat as it flared out slightly behind him. She gave the tailed section a sharp tug, pausing him. "I'm all for you getting Thor back, trust me. I'm only telling you to _think_! Don't just rush into the portal that the weirdo created. You _know_ it's a trap, but you don't even know where that thing goes. Take a minute to _think!_ "

He clenched his fists, but finally turned to look down at Nora. "Think about what."

Nora figured it was supposed to be a question, but it sure as heck didn't sound like one. "Say you go through the portal over there, then Ryssa and I are just going to sit here. I'll be completely defenseless with or without an unconscious elf child. When she wakes up, you _know_ she's going to rush through that portal to find Arryth if it's still open. Then what? She follows you to wherever: she's pretty strong, she'll be alright, but what if something happens to her? She isn't at full strength, just like you aren't." Nora inhaled and exhaled quickly. "You're supposed to be the mastermind, not the one who goes charging in."

He stood there, silently watching her as she watched his mind worked. He didn't seem like he was going to explode at her for telling him what to do, for which she was thankful. Angry Loki was a little scary, and she did not want that turned to her again. The few times he had turned on her were more than enough for her, thank you. _Gods,_ Nora thought. That seemed like forever ago. Ryssa began twitching in her sleep, and Nora gave him an expectant look, trying to nudge him without saying anything more.

He stood there for a few more seconds, and Nora could see he was still thinking. Then he bent down slightly to look directly into Nora's eyes. "Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," Nora answered slowly, but honestly. Then he put his hand out for her to take. Nora looked at it, her hand going to take it before she stopped herself. The last time he touched her, it had been like a giant burning (yet somehow freezing) pain on her arm. Looking down, she noticed that the skin was a vicious red with the edges turned black in the vague shape of a hand.

"I'm sorry about that, I wasn't thinking," he told her sincerely. "I'll heal it after I've gained some more of my magic." Two thin leather gloves appeared on his hands, and he held his out to her again. "Let's go."

Nora nodded as she let him pull her up gently, Ryssa still asleep in her arms. She was glad that elves were not nearly as dense as Asgardians, or else Nora would be straining embarrassingly. "Wait," Nora said. "You said 'let's'... I'm going with you through the portal?"

Loki maneuvered Ryssa onto his back, piggyback style, and held out his hand again. "Yes, you're going too. I can hardly leave you here _defenseless_ as you so put it. You said you trusted me," Loki reminded her, a small smirk playing on his face.

"I do, but... I get the sense wherever that portal is going, that it isn't good. You sure I won't just, you know, slow you down?"

He gestured with his hand still held out to her. "Don't make me carry you through it," he threatened gently. Nora could tell he was trying to remain calm and think like she had told him, but she could also see the underlying tension in the way he held himself. He may be trying to play it off, almost like a giant joke, but he was worried.

She forced a weary smirk. "Fine, but if I have to save you, I will never let you live it down."

"I would expect nothing less, Nora," he chuckled as she finally took his hand.

Nora's talk was all bravado because as they took the dozen steps to the portal, her stomach began doing some unpleasant flips and her heart raced. However, she trusted Loki's judgment. Bracing herself, Nora held her breath as they went through the portal. Unlike the one the twins had created where she could see the other side of the portal, this one just stood there, a seven feet tall swirling mass of energy. Reaching the portal's other side, Nora exhaled slowly. Thankfully, portal traveling didn't seem as jarring and dizzying as teleporting did.

Gone was the sunshine, trees, and waterfalls. It appeared to be the later part of dusk where they ended up; the sky lit just enough to provide the minimum amount of light to see. Looking around, Nora noticed they were in some sort of desert looking area, with large rocky cliffs near the horizon. The sky held several chunks of floating land in them, like the chunks had been upended into the air and decided to stay there. The gravity seemed normal, and she wondered how the land stayed floating in the air. Everywhere around her, Nora could see the swirling colors of space itself in the sky similar to what lay beyond the Bifrost on Asgard. All in all, it looked barren and deserted.

"Keep moving, and do not stop," Loki demanded, pulling her hand to move her forward. She instantly followed, and got hit with a very chilled breeze of air that shifted sand into the air. After shivering, Loki's coat disappeared from him in a flash of green light and appeared on her, fastened in the front tightly. The bottom swished against the sand with each step, nearly tripping her, and the sleeves flowed past her hands. "It is colder here than Asgard, keep that on. You're Midgardian jacket will not prove useful here, I'm afraid."

She nodded even though he wasn't looking at her. He just kept pulling them forward at a brisk pace. Nora noticed her feet felt like they were almost sinking as they walked, and she tried to keep up with his longer strides. "What about you? Or Ryssa? Don't you need your coat, too?"

"Jotun, remember?" Loki asked sardonically. "The cold is what I'm comfortable in. Ryssa will be fine, her magic will help her even if she's unconscious. You have no such magic, therefore you are hapless against the weather. That coat is imbued in magic and treated fabrics, you should remain warm fairly well."

"Okay," she nodded. "But where are we?" She had a sinking suspicion where, but figured she'd ask anyway.

He exhaled harshly, his hand squeezing hers slightly. "The Void."

* * *

They continued walking in a tense silence, Loki still pulling Nora along. After what had to be a few hours, her legs began to slow. Between Loki's longer strides and him pulling her along still, she was exhausted. However, feeling the tense atmosphere, she didn't want to complain so she trudged on and tried to distract herself with her new surroundings.

The sky remained darkened, but now Nora could make out a fairly large moon in the distance, and more sporadic chunks of land in the air. She noticed the sand shifting every now and then even though there was little-to-no breeze, and she kept a wary eye out. Tall, rocky pillar-like structures jutted up from the sand in places, but Loki passed by them without a glance and avoided them. When she squinted, Nora could _swear_ there were things that crawled in the shadows on the rocks, and she walked a bit faster despite the pain in her feet. Nora felt like they were being watched from all directions even though they were in the open besides the rocky pillars, and it put her on edge. There was _definitely_ something creepy about this place.

More sand shifted like something was underneath it, causing Nora to jump as it came closer, only about twenty feet away. "Do not stop," Loki told her quietly, while tugging her along a bit faster.

"What's under the sand? Do you know?" Nora asked. "It's some freaky sand creature, isn't' it? It's probably waiting to eat us right now."

"How'd you know?" Loki asked, a small tone of surprise in his otherwise tense voice. "There aren't stories of this place on Midgard, are there?"

"I'm right?!" she yelped, keeping an eye on the area around them. "And, no. Not that I'm aware of, but there's plenty of movies and stories everywhere that cover an entire spectrum of horror and space creatures. Remind me to show you sometime, assuming we get out of here. You'll definitely have to watch E.T.," she answered, shifting a little closer to him.

"I will do my best to remember," he indulged her flippantly.

He went quiet after that, and Nora tried to keep up so she could see his face. After a few attempts, she stopped trying. His strides were just too long, and her feet hurt too much to walk as fast as she would need to. Ryssa remained draped over Loki's back, while he had his other arm reached back under her legs to keep her up. After a few more minutes of silence, Nora was starting to get a bit fidgety. "Okay, I hate to be _that girl,_ but when are we going to stop walking? I'm just curious, not complaining," she assured him, trying to keep herself from sounding like a complaining child. Mentally, she was desperately hoping his answer would be "right now" and she could finally collapse and take a break.

Loki remained silent as Nora waited for an answer. He had to have heard her, there was no way he couldn't, unless he was outright ignoring her. She tried not to feel too dejected, he had a lot to deal with. But dammit if she didn't like the complete silence in whatever weird place they were in. She missed Darcy; she'd fill the silence with witty commentary and keep her occupied. Nora would even take Jane trying to explain to her all the stars or listen to her figure out how the chunks of land were floating in the sky. _Ah crap, they must be really freaking out right now,_ Nora thought. They must think she was kidnapped or dead somewhere.

 _Well, the kidnapped part wasn't too far off,_ she thought wryly.

"We should reach solid land in about ten minutes," he told her finally, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"How can you tell?" Nora asked, squinting into the distance. "I can't see anything besides sand."

Once again, he was quiet before she saw his cheek rise in a small smirk. "Well, I am a bit taller than you..."

"Always causing trouble," Nora feigned a sigh, a slightly exasperated shake of her head followed.

"I thought you were the master of trouble?" he asked, looking back at her finally.

"Considering I found my way to some other dimension-realm place, _after_ ending up on Asgard, I'd say I _am_ the Master of Trouble. You should be kneeling before me and pledging your loyalty," she smirked, eternally grateful that he was having a conversation.

"I kneel for no one," he smirked back. Then he focused forward again, still pulling her along. Nora rolled her eyes at him. His mood swing from serious to joking and charming were...well, charming. She wasn't sure how he pulled it off, but was glad he did.

Nora noticed the change of the sand before Loki told her that they were on solid ground finally. He finally released her hand, and she immediately sat down, flopping her legs out in front of her. There was a dark rocky surface underneath her, the top covered mostly in sand. No wonder she hadn't seen it.

"I hope you know I'm not moving for at least five minutes, maybe ever again," she sighed, rubbing her feet through her shoes. She pulled her shoes off and dumped the excess sand from them. Loki jostled Ryssa until she was laying in his arms before he set her down gently, then proceeded to stretch.

"Don't get too comfy, we still have a while to go until we have a safe place to fully rest. That bastard put us into the middle of nowhere," he told her, nearly growling the last part to himself.

"That weird cloaked guy? I'm sensing you two have some... issues?" she asked, even though issues didn't seem to cover it by the look on his face. He stood there silently, a fierce scowl on his face. Then he looked at her expectedly as Nora still sat on the ground. "Five more minutes?" she tried, forcing a smile. At his deadpanned look, she sighed, pulling herself up and put her shoes on. "Alright, Oh Mighty Leader, please proceed," she grumbled, trying to ignore the pain in her feet as she followed closely behind Loki.

Eventually, after Nora had mentally complained to herself for probably an hour, Loki had found what appeared to be a cave to sleep in. He had gone in first to check its safety. He nearly had to double over to actually go in, but he had soon come out and led the way back inside, carefully jostling Ryssa so she didn't hit the walls. The inside was far bigger than Nora had expected. She had thought they'd be crammed in the cave like sardines. Not that she would have minded. She was tired and exhausted, and there could be worse people to be trapped in a cave with than Loki and an unconscious Ryssa. There was more than enough room for each one of them to spread out with a handful of space between them. As soon as Loki gave the word that they could finally rest, Nora sprawled out and almost instantly fell asleep.

* * *

 _The whip cut into his back again, leaving him gritting his teeth and breathing harshly through his nose. He was sure that his back was ravaged to Hel by now, the disgusting Chitauri beasts had been at it for... a while. It was long ago that he lost track of time. Loki gasped as another dry heave forced its way through him, the action pulling at his new lashes. He couldn't tell if it was from the pain or the poison they poured down his throat earlier. It seemed it wasn't enough to torture him from the outside anymore. Now they were attacking him from the inside as well._

 _Quietly, he could hear the creatures hissing and communicating to each other from behind him where he was hanging limply. He long gave up trying to stand up, proud. Instead, he saved his energy for healing himself later._

 _Soon he was released from his shackles and dropped unceremoniously to the rough ground. The crude, yet stubbornly reinforced, shackles kept his hands bound together. A matching pair was wrapped around his ankles as well. They hadn't bound him at the ankles at first; he had earned those after his third time trying to escape._

 _Vague, blurry shapes of the Chitauri invaded his vision, or what was left of it. His vision had been impaired after a particularly inspired bout of torture a while back, and they had yet to heal it. They would. They always did. It was no fun playing with a broken toy._

 _"Still putting up a fight, Princeling?" the Other's voice sneered from somewhere above him._

 _"But of course," Loki answered smoothly, even though his voice was rough from disuse. "I am quite stubborn that way. Perhaps try the whip with the barbs again," Loki quipped, trying to keep his panting for breath to a minimum._

 _"Not quite yet," the Other hissed. "I've yet to hear your screams. I thinks it's time to rectify that."_

 _Loki tried to smirk, even though it probably came off more like a grimace. "You'll have to try a bit harder if you want to_ break _me, creature." Like hell he'd scream. If he hadn't yet, he'd be damned to let them get to him now. His refusal and stubborn pride was all he had left, if that inconvenienced them in some way then Loki was all too happy to oblige._

 _Suddenly, a staff appeared in his vision, a dim blue light emanating the blurred darkness that was his vision. Loki could_ feel _the magic from the staff, fighting its way into his body and mind. Within moments, he regretted his words and taunts for them to do worse. Whatever that energy source was, was dangerous. He could already feel it trying to invade his mind, easily slipping past any magical defenses he could put up for protection like smoke._

 _His vision went completely black, everything disappearing but his gradually panicking thoughts. He felt his body sag limply against his wishes, arms barely holding him up as he sat on his hands and knees. A new energy settled in his chest and mind, seeping through his magic and physiology. Sharp pains splintered through him as the energy expanded and spread through him. Instinctively, his body locked up, his breath leaving him with a slight_ whoosh. _Then the energy snapped and exploded within him, tearing through him._

 _He had no control of himself anymore. The last thing he remembers is screaming, his body arching backwards painfully-_

"Loki!"

His eyes snapped open, unseeing, his body instantly reacting to whatever was pushing at his legs. Right arm snapping out to grab the person, he pulled and threw them down under him, knife appearing in his left hand.

"It's me, it's me," the voice repeated quickly, shaking slightly but not fighting him. That's what gave him pause. The damned creatures would be fighting him relentlessly, they wouldn't just lay there motionless. The nightmare began fading away, finally letting him focus enough on the world around him to _see._ The cave...he was in the cave. A small figure was sleeping off to his left, back turned to him. Ryssa. That meant...

Nora was squinting up at him, bracing for any further attacks. Loki felt his body sag again, like he had been released from invisible threads, before scrambling back and off of Nora who he had pinned underneath him. Pressing his back against the cave wall, he covered his face with his hands and gripped his long hair. He hadn't had nightmares like that for quite some time. _It's this Norns forsaken place,_ he mentally hissed.

"Loki..." Nora said quietly, moving towards him slowly. "Don't," she told him, still annoyingly gentle, pulling at his hands that were digging into his scalp. He resisted stubbornly, but she was determined. She wasn't strong enough to make him move, but he allowed her to pull his hands away from his head after a second, letting his hands fall into his lap. A small, gentle smile pulled at her face as he gained his bearings and control over himself. Nora crawled the couple feet over to the wall to sit next to him, arms almost touching.

"Sorry I scared you," he found himself apologizing, breaking the silence. "You should have let me sleep." Instantly, his mind rejected that statement. He was thankful she woke him up from the nightmares.

She huffed slightly. "Didn't seem like you were sleeping to me. You were nearly bowed off the ground, yelling. I didn't want you to go through whatever nightmare you were lost in." As she talked, she wound an arm around his and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

Loki breathed slowly, feeling oddly vulnerable. Not even Thor or his mother knew he still had nightmares like that one. He could tell they had suspected before everything in his life went to Hel again, but neither had confronted them with their thoughts on the matter. Thor had tried, but Loki had brushed him off. Thor didn't need to waste time worrying about him.

"I know this is a stretch, but do you want to talk about it?" Nora asked him, not looking up at him but still hugging his arm.

"No," he answered. It was bad enough he was forced to relive those horrors. Someone like Nora didn't need what frequently haunted him in his sleep. She was too... good for that. He'd keep it to himself, like he had been. No one needed to know how weak and haunted he was.

He felt her smile through his shirt sleeve. "You like to be all mysterious, Loki Odinson, and you are sometimes, but you are also remarkably predictable." She exhaled, pausing for a moment. "Talking about it might help. I know you like to keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself, but I'd help you if you'd let me."

 _Why would you want to help me?_ he wondered. He realized when she answered that he had spoken that thought aloud.

"Because you need to realize you're not alone," she answered simply. "I care about you, and I want to help you if I can. If listening to your problems can help you, then lay them on me. We've been through enough together. I trust you; Maybe you should trust me now."

 _You can't trust anyone,_ a tiny voice whispered in the back of his mind. Some part of him knew that the voice was wrong. He had a few people he could trust. With certain things, at least. "It...It's this place," Loki answered vaguely, still holding back the worst of his memories and thoughts. "I'm sure you can surmise my time here was unpleasant to say the least. I had never intended on returning here. I was only here for around a year, I think. At least, that's what I've been told was the general time lapse of my absence."

"You don't know how long you were gone?" Nora asked, this time looking up at him. Her hair was slightly disheveled from sleep, his coat still encompassing her completely.

Loki shook his head. He couldn't keep track of time where they had him. There had been no fixed schedule to anything, which was most likely part of his torture. Sometimes the creatures wouldn't leave him alone for what felt like days, and sometimes they'd disappear all together for long bouts of time. He thought he would starve to death a few times, unable to move while chained in place. But sure enough, someone would come and revive him as soon as he thought it would be over. Healers had been sent in after the rounds of torture to ensure he'd be prepared for whatever came next. "It is not something I like to remember," he told her quietly, stoically looking around the cave, like the shadows were going to attack.

Her face scrunched up in thought, and he could see her trying to mentally will him to talk. And dammit if he tried to keep quiet. But he was tired of fighting everyone, and all around tired. He just wanted _one_ person to know what had happened; his feelings and what drove him. What broke him. Before he forced himself to care, he found himself telling her of what happened when he found out his heritage, and how he lead Laufey to Asgard before killing him. He told her of the fight with Thor and how he let go on the Bifrost, feeling like there was no going back to what was. Too much had changed. Not just him, but his whole adopted family.

He told her of how he had woken up in some new world of eternal dusk, where there seemed to be no direct sun, and only dim moons lighting the sky with the cosmos. After waking, he had discovered for himself the dangers of that world one by one, alone with only his magic and his anger to keep him company. The anger hadn't lasted but a week. Looking back, he could see parts of his plans that he could've done better, and parts of his plan that shouldn't have even come to fruition to begin with. Nearly shouting himself hoarse for Heimdall, Loki had waited another week before giving up. Odin had other ways to travel through the realms, although the usage of dark matter was strictly forbidden for anyone but the old man himself, but he never came for Loki. No one did. He had been abandoned yet again, only this time it was a deserted land of sand instead of an icy pedestal. The more he thought of the only family he had known just leaving him to wander, the more rage he felt grow inside him. How foolish could he be, anyway? If they didn't care enough for him to even try to look for him, he wouldn't care about them at all.

Then the creatures he had never seen before had found him, nearly dead on his feet, only his drive to stay alive to spite the universe had kept him going. They had dragged him to deep caverns made into the ground and locked him in a room. The Other had come back with the creatures, who he then found out were called Chitauri. The Other had gone on some hissed speech on how Lord Thanos had plans for Loki to help them get back a great source of power. Loki had refused. He wasn't going to help anyone but himself. What was the point? He knew as soon as he did as asked, he'd be discarded and most likely killed. Or at least they'd attempt to try and kill him. Loki had planned on fighting them every step of the way. Fighting was what he was used to. Fighting for attention in Thor and Odin's shadows, fighting for the very realm that would hate him on sight for what he was, even if he had been unaware just like the rest of them. He had spent so much time fighting for everyone else, for their approval and friendship and camaraderie. Now he was going to fight for himself, and damn everyone else.

After what had to be several months of torture (which he skipped over specific details for Nora), he told her of the scepter and how they had used it on him. First for more pain, then trying to control him. But Loki had been far too stubborn for that. He had almost succumbed a couple times, but he was not going to let anyone else win besides him. He had escaped for the fourth time, and had snatched the scepter from the Chitauri. They had been careless and left it near him as its magic worked its way through the air and into Loki himself. Looking back now, Loki supposed they had done that on purpose, to let him fight for a weapon to retaliate with. To fight _for_ the scepter, instead of against it. Once he had gotten a hold of it, power he could scarcely remember having had washed through him like he was connected to the Great Tree itself.

The staff had healed him, had shown him glimpses of him ruling over his own people. And didn't that feel just _perfect_ at the time. He had been kicked around, toyed with enough; not just by one race or realm, or two, but three. First the Jotuns for thinking him weak, then the Asgardians for lying, and now the Chitauri. But he was not weak, he had control of the scepter then. Now he was powerful! He could take over worlds easily with the energy it gave him, with the visions of the future. Perhaps he would go and destroy Jotenheim after all.

Then he had met Thanos as he was escaping from the oddly high-tech -yet still crude- prisons and what seemed to be areas of living underneath the odd planet. He had wanted to just take Thanos out and be on his way, but even he was too weak at that point. The scepter had sent off warning bells through him, telling him not to attack just yet. Thanos, with his giant structure and purple skin was odd enough to Loki, but he spoke of power. Spoke of Loki no longer being on the low end of the rankings. Of being _King._

Thanos had told him of the Tesseract, and while Loki didn't trust the large titan-like person, he trusted his knowledge of things Loki had not known before. The scepter had shown him these things as well. Before long, the scepter showed him visions of the glowing cube on Midgard. His nearly forgotten past brother's newfound precious planet. Where the human woman of his resided. How could he have passed up an opportunity to rule such a realm? He'd get to hurt his once brother and Odin all at the same time. They'd done nothing but hurt him, and now he would get a chance to return the favor in kind.

"Once I got to Midgard and had the Tesseract, the scepter still showed me things. It _taught_ me things," Loki explained, still forcing himself to look ahead towards the mouth of the cave. He dared not look over at Nora. He had left out the more darker details of his thoughts and tortures, merely skimming over them. She hadn't pulled her arm from his yet, but she could still be in shock from what he was telling her. He expected her to be repulsed, even if a small part hoped that she wouldn't. He tried to kill that last clinging sense of hope before he would wind up hurt. "It showed Thanos betraying me, not that I was surprised. But it showed him stealing from me what was promised. There was no way I was going to come out of the battle alive. I foresaw my own death in quite a few ways, and then Thanos had the Other invading my mind as well whenever he wanted to communicate."

Loki told her of how he had changed tactics. Getting the heroes together, giving them a common enemy. They would have no choice but to attack him and fight the damned Chitauri army, and Loki was going to serve them up on a silver platter for all his days of torture. He had thought threatening to bring the alien army to Midgard would be what solidified the shakily founded Avengers. But it had been that man that shot him with the oddly strong gun that had done the trick. Loki had killed him because he was in the way, but it had helped him out more in the end. Nora had already knew of the fight, so Loki mainly summarized that. She didn't need to know how he had already known Erik Selvig had built an emergency shutdown. Selvig had thought himself smarter than the powers even Loki couldn't begin to understand. The scientist had no idea that what he thought was his own self of preservation, was actually Loki. Yes, he would be "thwarted", but the Chitauri army would be severely diminished. He couldn't attack openly, after all.

The Avengers thought themselves so smart as they found the scepter he deliberately left behind after facing Thor again. As if he'd just roll off the roof without a plan in motion and without his main weapon with him. If he could just get away in the madness, he could find a way off this miserable planet. Why had he ever wanted to rule there anyway? He couldn't quite remember, like deciding on this plan was some sort of child's dream. But he had to forget about the why, he had to plan what came next. He could cloak himself, travel through the realms. He'd have found a way to survive. But then Barton had to blast him into Stark tower, where the Hulk had regrettably smacked him around, tougher than Loki had anticipated.

That had smacked some sense into him, letting the grasp of the scepter fall away. It wasn't until that moment that Loki had realized just how the scepter had affected him so. How it made everything much more intense, making him feel invincible. Before he could fully come to, he had been surrounded by his brother and the other oafs of the planet, ready to attack him. Only Thor stopped them from trying to kill him. Loki was to be brought back to Asgard and tried for his crimes. Which was fine with Loki. He knew plenty of ways out of Asgard. It was rather stupid of them to accept him back into the world he knew better than most. But hey, that wasn't his problem.

Then Odin had those stupid stones of obedience put on him, like some sort of slave or something of the like. Actually, it was worse than a slave. Slaves could try and resist, even if it would not end well for them. They had the choice to make their lives easier or harder, to follow the rules or deny them. The stones had made it nearly impossible for him to reject them at all. They only allowed for total obedience.

"Tony told me bits and pieces of that," Nora told him. "He said, and I quote, 'He was a total asshole at first, but he grew on us after a while.' Then he told me about how you saved his life, and came back a Jotun, which freaked him out at first because he had watched you die and disappear. Is that what Heimdall meant forever ago, about you dying?"

Loki nodded, suddenly feeling tired and elated at the same time. He felt...lighter somehow. Perhaps this is what it meant to trust someone with your secrets. Norns knew he had enough of them. Not that Nora already hadn't known some of them anyhow. He knew she wouldn't tell anyone else, but he didn't quite trust her enough to want to stay around him after what he had tried to explain. "Yes, it was quite the 'freak out' for me as well. I had no idea who I was, but Stark had seemed vaguely familiar. It wasn't long after that I regained my memories. Then I went back to Asgard to face Odin. We talked, and we came to a truce. He reinstated me as a Prince of Asgard, and everything went back to a relative normal. Jane and yourself turned up only a handful of months after I had returned, and you know the rest."

"That's... That's..."Nora exhaled, trying to think of a proper response. Loki couldn't really say what an appropriate response to all of that was. Suddenly, she shot up from him and moved away from him. A sense of dread and shame filled him. Of course she'd react badly. How else was she supposed to react to all of that? "Stand up," she demanded, standing a few steps away from him with her hands on her hips, looking down at him with a relatively blank face. After a second of consideration, he did reluctantly. At least she couldn't physically harm him. Loki brushed off some sand from his trousers, and before he knew it, Nora had lunged at him.

He expected a lot of things. Accusations, slaps, kicks, a scowl or two at least. So when it registered that she was hugging him again, he stood there, momentarily in shock. Whenever she had escaped the tower and flung herself at him, he understood that. He was someone she considered strong that could help her in that current situation and she was happy she had survived. But now... now he was just confused. A small, confused yet fond, smile graced his face. Nora called him predictable, and she was anything but that.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that," she whispered against his chest, squeezing him as hard as her mortal strength would let her. Then she exhaled sharply and took a step back. "And if I see that creepy, reptilian looking bastard ever again, I'm going to kill him."

"You will have to wait in line," he replied, the small smile refusing to go away. There was something entertaining about her getting particularly vindictive. Like a kitten with its hackles raised. "I didn't think you could be that vicious, I'm impressed." Of course, words and actions were two different things, but he appreciated the sentiment. _Sentiment,_ he nearly scoffed at himself.

She sent him a brazen smirk, before sitting back down on the cave floor. "Alright, you're going to try and get some rest," she told him. "Don't even try to argue. Like it or not, you're our best bet out of here alive and you need rest. Besides, Ryssa will probably wake up soon, and you'll probably have to help contain any magical outbursts."

Loki raised an eyebrow at her, still standing over her as she sat down. "Yes, ma'am," he muttered sarcastically, surprised a human would try to order him around. How far he had fallen. Then again, it was Nora...and she was right, regardless. He knew he wouldn't sleep for a while, not after the nightmare, but that didn't mean he couldn't rest his body. Laying on his back, hands behind his head, Loki watched the ceiling of the cave, letting his mind wander. Nora shuffled around, trying to find a comfortable position on the rocky ground before curling up on her side, head propped on her arms. Loki watched her for a minute, a vague warmth in his chest, before he closed his eyes to rest.

* * *

 **Holy cow, this chapter fought me in so many ways. First it didn't want to be written, then I got sick and had no time to type, then the second half of this didn't seem to want to end. I tried to summarize his previous time in the Void with just enough detail, while trying to keep it short enough so it wouldn't be an excessively long chapter. Seriously, I could've written about his previous time here so much to make another freaking story. But this chapter is only slightly longer than the others so I guess I succeeded...Maybe? I also typed up the second half at 4 in the morning because I couldn't sleep so forgive me if it reads weird or there are any mistakes.**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked it! Pretty pretty please leave a review and let me know what you think! I seriously adore hearing from you guys! Y'all are amazing! Hopefully, I can get another chapter out quickly... but (thanks to a friend) I'm officially Ladybug and Cat Noir trash, so...I'm sure you know how it goes...**

 **Toodles -K**


	21. Chapter 21

**You're not hallucinating! It's a new chapter…After a year and a half (but who's keeping track? Certainly not me).**

 **Anyway, there's several reasons this story hasn't' been worked on forever, and I will now bore you with them: Work and school. My old laptop finally quit, so I bought a new one. The new one's a piece of crap and I had to type in wordpad or notepad or whatever the hell, and that was just impossible! There was also no space on it to save anything so I had to keep my external hardrive on me to even pull up the story to type and I didn't always have it with me.** **Now I've gotten a new new laptop, and it's a million times better than the other one. It even came with Word free for a year so that's a plus! Now I can actually get back to writing!**

 **Onto the chapter!**

* * *

Nora didn't get much sleep after Loki's story. She was excited that she finally knew his story, but then it made her sad. He'd had such a tough life recently, and had gone through so much. Not that it excused some of the things he'd done, but he seemed to take responsibility for them in ways many wouldn't. Nora was also glad that he trusted her enough to tell her everything; it made her heart warm.

It didn't feel like too long before Loki was gently jostling her awake. He didn't look any better really, but Nora could tell he managed to get some rest. Reaching for his hands, Nora smiled as he helped her stand.

"Should we wake her up?" Nora asked, nodding over at Ryssa.

Loki thought about it for a second before nodding and walking over to wake the young elf up. Taking a deep breath, he shook her awake. At first, she was confused, but once she realized Arryth was missing, she nearly lost it. Thankfully, Loki stopped her from nearly destroying the cave in a fit. Instead of gentle words and reassurances, he sounded like a commander telling her to get herself under control. Nora had almost stepped in, surely Ryssa didn't need to be nearly yelled at? But Nora was wrong. Ryssa got control of herself after a quick conversation in another language. Ryssa asked questions, remaining understandably tense, then seemed to focus, a new fire in her eyes. She looked ready to take on anyone in their way.

When they left, the sand wasn't quite a problem this time around. There were more patches of ground underneath their feet, still covered in sand but solid to walk on. Neither of them really talked unless Nora had a quick question or two, which Loki answered. Apparently, the Void was connected by several portals sporadically around that world. They would have to go through two more portals before they reached the area where the Chitauri were keeping Thor and Aryyth. Thankfully, the distance between portals wasn't nearly as long as the previous day's journey had been to the cave.

"Can you sense where Thor is? Or Arryth?" Nora asked.

Loki shook his head. "He's most likely down in the prison tunnels, though. Thanos wants me, so he would want Thor heavily guarded. There's more space down there to fill with Chitauri."

"And you're sure you want me in there, that I won't be a severe liability?" Nora asked one more time, making sure.

"Yes," he answered again. "You'd get eaten by something or captured by yourself out here. You're staying close so you're safe. Between Ryssa and myself, you should be protected, which reminds me," he said, grabbing inside his boot for a small dagger. "Keep this with you. I'd rather you have something than nothing down here, even if you don't know how to wield one properly." Nora took the dagger, a sense of foreboding filling her, and adjusted her backpack.

"Can we go already? I want my brother back," Ryssa snapped, talking for the first time in hours. With a nod, Loki used his magic to reveal a tall shimmering space that lead into an underground hallway.

"We stay together," Loki told them, eyes on the portal. "If you get separated, try and find a place to hide. I'll find you when I can."

After his instruction, they went through the portal and made it to the last portal with little time in between. When they reached the final portal, however, Loki paused in front of it, his face tense. Nora slipped her hand in his, hoping she could give him some kind of comfort. With a determined nod, the three of them set foot through the portal.

* * *

The whole 'staying together' plan went to crap after about thirty minutes.

After going through the portal, they stepped out onto actual solid ground, sand still beyond in the distance. Everything was flat, there wasn't a building, or anything that resembled a building in sight. At Nora's confused face, Loki explained that the base was beneath the ground in maze-like hallways and tunnels. It was also connected by a portal to one of the larger chunks of floating land in the sky. Loki said that was where Thanos usually resided.

When they entered, everything looked a lot like the underneath of Asgard. The halls looked like they were carved through the ground and splintered off in every direction. Loki continued walking straight, his other long dagger in his hand. Every occasionally, he'd make a left or right turn. There were also tunnels carved into the ceiling and the thought of Chitauri crawling up the walls creeped Nora out. She was regretting every scary movie she had ever seen.

Nora nearly jumped out of her skin when a Chitauri soldier fell from the ceiling tunnels and landed directly in front of her. With his warrior reflexes, Loki spun, catching the creature off guard and sliced through its neck in a single swing. She tried not to look too closely, but the creature started sparking slightly as its body fell and bled.

They didn't encounter another Chitauri after that for about ten minutes. The halls were almost eerily quiet and dark, lit only with periodic squares of light that were built into the walls.

"Shouldn't there be more of them?" Nora asked quietly, still warily eyeing the ceiling for Chitauri.

"Stark did take a large portion of them out with that explosive on Midgard when I brought them there. They most likely haven't had the time to replenish their numbers to what they were. There are still plenty of them, so do not let your guard down," Loki answered, still walking ahead first.

The next group of Chitauri came in a group of five. Loki had told Ryssa to guard Nora and not to waste her magic yet, so he took care of them quickly and efficiently before they could really fight back. Once they moved on, they came to a large metal door that slid open as they got close. Nora's eyes widened as the inside looked sleek and high-tech. The door lead to a long hallway with several doors on either side. After a brief moment of looking back and forth, Loki headed left and Ryssa and Nora followed dutifully.

No more Chitauri appeared and Nora was starting to feel the tense atmosphere get to her. Her heart pounded quicker, the anticipation of an attack making her jittery. It was like waiting for a creepy jack-n-the-box to spring open. Only this time it was Chitauri and they'd be trying to kill her.

She preferred the jack-in-the-box.

Loki stopped at another fork in the hallways. Nora could practically see his mind working a mile a minute as he looked back and forth slowly. Then, somewhat hesitantly, Loki turned right and continued. Even with this portion of the base being sleek and technologically advanced looking, some areas still didn't have excess lighting. Maybe the Chitauri had better eyesight than most? Or maybe they wanted Nora, Loki, and Ryssa's visibility to be diminished? They did know that they were coming here after all.

Some of the sleek doors would open automatically as they passed, making Nora jump every time. Neither Loki or Ryssa seemed bothered by the doors, but Nora could have sworn she saw Ryssa roll her eyes in a very human way. It wasn't Nora's fault though! Her nerves were slowly getting the better of her, causing a pit in her stomach and a tremble in her hands. Something felt... instinctively wrong about this place. It set her on edge.

They reached some stairs and headed downward. Ryssa conjured a ball of light to float in front of them, most likely for Nora's benefit so she wouldn't fall down the stairs. As they walked, Nora realized there were actual jail cell looking areas with old looking bars reaching from the ceiling to the floor. Most of them were empty, but some held creatures and types of aliens Nora had never seen before. They had all scurried away from the light as they passed by and for a moment, Nora's heart ached for them. Surely, they didn't deserve to live like that? She wanted to hug Loki all over again if this was where the Chitauri had kept him for so long. Some of the cells were larger than five story houses on Earth, making Nora wonder what the heck was so big that they needed a cell that big. Then again, maybe she didn't want to find out.

It wasn't until about five minutes later that Loki stopped in front of a solid metal door that looked a little worse for wear. It had dents in it from the inside and looked scorched in some places. Taking a deep breath, Loki pulled the door open. Silence echoed back at them, the only noise being from the door scraping across the floor. He motioned for Ryssa and Nora to follow slowly, the cell remaining completely dark until Ryssa's ball of light floated in. The walls were dingy; some parts were stained dark with things Nora didn't want to think about but figured she knew anyway. A body huddled in the far corner, unmoving and turned away from them.

"Thor?" Loki called, surprisingly gentle as he approached the corner.

Thor? Nora looked around Loki at the body. If she squinted she could maybe see that it was Thor. His hair was long and stringy, dirt and blood tainting the once bright golden strands. There were also small patches of hair that were missing. He didn't have a shirt on, only grubby pants. His once proud, muscled arms wrapped around his torso, weak and undefined.

"Thor?" Loki tried again, kneeling a couple feet away from his brother. Slowly, he reached a hand out to touch Thor's shoulder. There was no response as Loki made contact, nor was there a response when Loki tried to shake him. "Thor, come on!" Loki told him, using his magic now to try and get Thor to wake up. Ryssa hummed in the back of her throat and went to help Loki with Thor. Nora kept looking between the corner and the door to make sure no one snuck up and surprised them. Nora could see the glow from Loki and Ryssa's magic as they tried to heal Thor up a bit as she kept an eye out. The hallways were still empty, and no one had noticed they were there. At least, she thought so. She couldn't see much down the hallway, but she also couldn't hear anything.

 _Shouldn't this place be crawling with Chitauri?_ Nora thought. This is where Thor was being kept. Even if they hadn't made it all the way here, it was obvious they weren't giving Thor time to rest and recover from whatever they did to him. There should be at least someone down there, right?

Finally, Thor finally stirred, making a low whining sound in the back of his throat. "Loki?" he rasped, squinting up at Loki in confusion.

"Yeah," Loki huffed slightly, "now come on. We're getting you out of here."

* * *

Trying to carry Thor was remarkably, and worryingly, easy for Loki. The creatures hadn't gotten to the healing portion of Thor's torture, clearly, so his brother was severely malnourished and feeble. Not exactly the words Loki would use to describe Thor at any given time, even when he was fighting against him. Thor had always been a pillar of strength, not just for his Asgardian build and skills in battle, but also for the general way he could rouse people into action. It was a little unsettling that Loki had to be that now.

Thor kept groaning as Loki hauled him through the long hallway. He didn't try to heal him anymore than what little he had already; his magic wouldn't last long enough to completely heal him. Not that he was that skilled in healing regardless. Instead, Loki kept Thor's arm wrapped around his shoulders and an arm around his waist to keep him upright.

Nora and Ryssa walked in front of them, Ryssa sending out small waves of magic to keep a barrier of sorts around them. Nora kept glancing around nervously, just waiting for more Chitauri to show up. "Come on, Thor," Loki told his brother, readjusting his hold again as Thor slipped a little.

"….Lo….ki…" Thor tried to mumble but it only came out as a barely audible whisper.

"What is it, Thor?" Loki asked. He didn't have time to converse, or try to comfort his brother in any way. He knew that it was callous, but Thor could be comforted after they were safe and away from the Chitauri prison. There wasn't time to be distracted. If Thor wouldn't be more troublesome as dead weight, then Loki would have knocked him out already, or left him asleep.

"Loki," Thor groaned, before pulling Loki to a weak stop.

"Yes?" Loki asked, somewhat snippy. He just wanted to leave this place. He figured Thor would feel the same after being trapped there.

Loki almost missed the energy around Thor gathering and condensing quickly. He only had a split second to drop Thor to the ground and dart forward to shout a warning at Nora and Ryssa.

Suddenly, electricity sparked and snapped before exploding outward in the hallway in all directions. Thankfully, Ryssa put a barrier around herself and Loki managed to grab Nora to shield her before the lightning could get to her even though his coat would protect most of her.

"What the hell?" Nora asked while clinging to Loki's arms that had wrapped around her.

Loki turned to look back, keeping Nora in front of him. Sure enough, Thor stood the few feet behind them, hung over at the waist while breathing heavily. Sparks of crackling energy zipped around Thor's body, gathering quickly to become jagged arcs of electricity. His eyes were a semi-glowing blue, but Loki couldn't tell if it was Thor's own magic, or something more sinister like the scepter. He knew that rescuing Thor had been too easy.

Peaking around Loki, Nora gasped. "Since when can he throw lightning from his body?!" she asked, looking at the bluish white light bouncing off the walls.

"Since I taught him how," a sigh escaped Loki's lips as he picked Nora up and teleported down the hallway at a semi-safe distance. Ryssa appeared next to them, energy swirling around her as well, though her energy was bright yellow flames. "You two go find Arryth," Loki told them while keeping an eye on Thor, who was now finally standing upright on his own. "I'll deal with Thor and then I'll find you."

The enemy had probably brainwashed him with the scepter or through torture. That's why there hadn't been many guards around here; they wanted Thor to take them all out while they tried to fight him. At the very least, the Other probably thought that even a weakened Thor would be enough of an obstacle to weaken them significantly, and Loki especially.

"Be careful," Nora told him again after a quick second of debate before turning the other direction with Ryssa.

 _You too,_ he thought, pushing the thought into Nora's head without much thought. He didn't think she'd mind him getting in her mind without asking first. In fact, he could almost sense a smirk as she ran the opposite direction with Ryssa. He was glad she didn't try to argue or stay. It would be hard enough fighting Thor who (most likely) wasn't in full control of himself. Even physically diminished as Thor was, his magic seemed almost as strong as ever. However, using it when Thor was weakened already would put an enormous strain on his body after a few more good outbursts. Loki could work with that.

Quicker than Loki anticipated, Thor pushed off the floor and nearly flew at him with arcs of lightning coming off him in bursts. Throwing up a small frontal barrier of magic, Loki took the brunt of the sudden attack in stride as he got pushed back and through one of the cell walls. As the cell and walls crumbled around them, Loki tried to reach inside Thor's mind to find out what exactly his brother was thinking. If it was the scepter's influence, he could maybe work around it. The influence of the staff was diminished the further away the target was from the scepter and its wielder. Maybe he could work his way through the splinters of magic.

Or he could just hit Thor exceptionally hard if he couldn't work around it.

Whatever came first.

"Loki!" Thor growled again before charging at him blindly. He couldn't help a cocky smirk. Thor was far too weak to do any real-

Lightning blasted him through another wall before Loki could finish that thought.

Chest heaving, Loki let his arms fall. His magic barrier was gone, smashed through with the sudden yet focused blast from Thor. The sleeves of Loki's shirt were ruined, slashed with edges that were singed and smoking. "Was that it, Thor? I thought I taught you how to use that power more efficiently than that." _Taunt him, make him angry. He gets sloppy when he's emotional._ "You didn't think I'd teach you to wield your _magic_ without your pretty hammer and not know a way around it _,_ did you? You must be more foolish than I remember you to be." It was true. While Loki had taught Thor his magic, Loki's calculating nature couldn't help but see all the ways he could exploit his brother's magic if it ever came down to a fight between the two of them again. Not that he had planned on that, of course, but it was best to plan ahead for such possibilities.

As Thor charged at Loki again, wielding his magic fiercely (or as fiercely as he could be considering his physical state) Loki dodged into one of the cells they had burst into. Some ragged creature huddled in the corner tried to appear as small as possible before slipping out behind Thor as he caught up with Loki a moment later. Thor paid it no attention as it scurried past, his focus solely on Loki it seemed.

Loki could work with that. He could sense Thor weakening already. All he'd have to do was dodge and run long enough for Thor to wear himself out. He may have taught Thor how to wield his magic before Loki's life turned Helish, but Thor had helped him with his physical strength and stamina. Even with limited use of his magic, Loki was almost in the best shape he had ever been in physically. Months of Thor putting him through 'proper Asgardian training' seemed to turn out in Loki's favor. _Who knew the oaf could actually teach me something useful,_ he thought with a smirk.

Thor whipped around the wall, blasting the immediate area again with his raging magic. Loki couldn't help the cocky smirk this time. If his brother wanted a fight with magic, then that's what he was going to get.

* * *

Nora kept running, trying to keep up with Ryssa who's magic was still swirling around her protectively. She wanted so badly to look back, to see if Loki was alright. She hadn't even known Thor was going to attack, or that there even _was_ an attack until Loki had pulled her close and everything went a bright blueish white. Keeping an eye out for creepy Chitauri seemed like the only thing she should have been worried about. Boy was she wrong. She only hoped that Loki could take Thor down without getting hurt too badly in the process. If both Thor and Loki were down for the count, then there was a very minimal chance of escape on their part.

Several explosions behind her seemed to decrease their odds of escape with each blast. Would Loki even be able to find them if he was injured? What if he used all his magic and couldn't find a safe place to rest? Nora's mind went in circles thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong.

Ryssa suddenly pulled Nora to a stop and pushed her against the wall and gave her a motion that told Nora to be quiet. There was a slight tingly sensation Nora could feel before she saw Chitauri at the end of the hall headed their direction. She held her breath as the Chitauri ran by, assuming Ryssa was making them invisible. Another explosion, weaker this time, echoed down the halls causing the walls and floor to shake slightly. _At least the walls weren't giving out like Asgard's,_ Nora thought.

"Come on," Ryssa told her, darting off in the other direction.

"Can you sense where Arryth is?" Nora asked as they hid again from more Chitauri. Ever since they had 'rescued' Thor, there had been far more of the alien creatures walking around.

Ryssa was quiet for a moment before she nodded once. They continued walking, ending up back in the more technological portion of the prison. The lights were still dim and there wasn't anyone else around. Some of the doors kept opening as they passed, but thankfully they remained empty and free of any aliens.

Suddenly, one of the doors blasted outward, light blue magic bursting from it and headed straight for Ryssa and Nora. Nora jumped backwards at the sudden attack, while Ryssa darted forward with magic of her own to counteract what had been thrown at them. The two magic forces fought in the air before Ryssa's bright yellow flames overpowered the light blue magic that had attacked them.

"Ryss?!" The magic shifted in the air, nearly evaporating on the spot as Ryssa let her arms fall. Nora nearly gasped as Arryth (looking worse for wear, but still better than Thor had) came stumbling out of the room and right into Ryssa. He looked like he'd been tossed around a bit, only wearing a white long sleeve slip that he wore underneath his normal robes.

It was sweet how Ryssa had pulled her brother in for a tight hug, her magic already working to help heal her brother. "What's going on?" Arryth asked, flinching slightly as there were a few more crashes back in the direction they had left Loki and Thor. "Where's Loki?"

"We'll explain later, for now we have to hide," Ryssa told him, finally letting him go. "Come on." And with that, they were on their way again through the halls.

About five minutes later, they found a small room that was filled with Chitauri weaponry. Their odd guns hung on the walls next to the short staff looking weapons. Nora grabbed a gun and kept it next to her. Sure, she had Loki's dagger, but it wouldn't hurt to have a long-range weapon too. Especially since she didn't know how to fight, but surely shooting something wouldn't be too hard. She hoped.

Arryth shivered next to her, clutching the clothes that Nora had put him in from her backpack. He had told them how he had woken up in a completely dark room with no way out, missing his thicker robes for warmth. He had summoned a similar light like Ryssa's to attempt to see, but he was in a small room with a door that wouldn't open. For the most part, the creatures left him alone. He hadn't eaten anything in the past couple days it took to reach him, and not sensing Ryssa around, he had saved his magic to escape. Once they had entered the prison, Arryth could hear all the Chitauri running through the halls. Then he had waited until they came to use him as leverage and escaped. He had run into a few Chitauri, but had taken care of them quickly enough, and then headed towards Ryssa and Loki since he could sense them using their magic.

Since the three of them had found their hiding room and there had been no sign of Loki. The crashes and explosive energy from Thor had died down long ago, leaving just silence in the halls. Every occasionally, Nora could hear the hissed language of the aliens, and even the large roars from what she assumed was the big ones that could fly. She definitely didn't want to run into one of those. There was no way she'd win, even with the luck she'd had so far. _Where the heck would they even keep those down here?_

Fidgeting nervously, Nora held onto the little orb in her hands. She couldn't remember what the person's name was… something with an A. Her mind kept supplying her with the word alfredo, but she knew that was wrong. It was probably because she was hungry. They had been sitting for a while in the room, listening to the creatures outside patrolling the halls.

She was surprised that the Chitauri didn't seemed too worried about the three of them inside their hideout. Surely, they'd search every room and hallway for them? Maybe they didn't see them as a threat… Obviously, Nora was no real threat, but the twins were. Why would they ignore them? Were they distracted with something else?

Nora felt a pit in her stomach. Did they get Loki? Was that why the noises had died down? And what about Thor? He wasn't looking too good either, and with Loki not being able to use all his magic like he was used to…

 _Loki…_

 _Would you like to see him?_ A voice suddenly asked quietly, passing through Nora's mind like her own thoughts.

Her eyes flicked around the room quickly, her muscles tensing so she wouldn't flinch. What the hell? The twins hadn't moved so they hadn't heard it. She was tired, but she wasn't going crazy.

 _What would you like to do?_ A darkness bled into her vison quickly as the voice asked a question again. It didn't quite sound like anyone she knew, neither male or female. It was just… there.

 _Loki, what the heck do I do?_ She thought almost panicked.

Suddenly, the darkness shifted and her vision zoomed forward into a dull light. It showed the Other dragging Loki's body through the halls with the Chitauri dragging Thor behind them. It darkened again and zoomed into a far distance into a light. The light gave way to a small dingy cell, Loki chained and bolted to the wall behind his back. He was grinning his maniacal evil smile that looked just a tad insane. The Other stood before him, the scepter still in his hands. _"Did you think possessing that oaf of an idiot would actually stop me from killing him?"_

The Other remained silent, facing away from where Nora could see. It was like she was in the room, yet they couldn't see her at all. She did, however, look over to see Thor's body was lying against the wall in the shadows. The Other hissed something in response that made Loki chuckle.

The scene in front of her shorted out for a split second, like static on a TV. Everything went fuzzy before Loki came back into view, the Other holding out the scepter towards him. She couldn't hear them anymore, could only see their mouths move. Everything shorted out again, this time remaining fuzzy and returning to the endless darkness.

Nora blinked as she was thrown to the ground, finally able to see the small weapons room around her. Ryssa had blasted some Chitauri back into the hallway as they tried to get into the room. "Come on, Nora!" Arryth demanded, trying to pull her up from the ground. The orb fell from her hands to _clink_ against the ground as it started to roll. Nora kneeled on the floor confused for a few seconds as Ryssa fought off the three Chitauri that had found them.

 _When had they even come in?_ Nora wondered as she snatched the orb from the floor and jumped up. Ryssa and Arryth had killed the Chitauri and were looking out into the hallway. Quickly, Nora grabbed her bag and rushed after Ryssa and Arryth who had left the room already. Three Chitauri bodies laid in the hallway, motionless and appearing burnt, as Nora ran by.

She didn't have time to really think about the visions too hard, but they left her feeling worried. If they were true, then Loki and Thor had been captured again. Nora had joked about saving Loki, but she didn't think that they'd actually have to. He was Loki, after all. If anyone would need saving, Nora honestly figured it would be her.

More Chitauri rounded the hallway in front of them, giving Nora no time to think about what had happened. She'd tell Ryssa and Arryth if they got a moment to breathe. Nora just hoped that they could fight their way out long enough to find a plan to save the two Asgardian brothers.

* * *

 **Please please review! In general it's disheartening to get little feedback on something. I hope nothing was too weird. I've been trying to get back into the Nora mindset for the story; I don't think I missed the mark too badly.**

 **You can thank the user "JustCharlotte" for reviewing and making me want to get back to this story! Even though it's way later than I had said (again, my bad) I finally got something done!**

 **Once again, please leave a review! It'll help me feel more motivated to write more and actually MAKE the time to write.**

 **Until next time! -K**


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